


Dangerous Connections

by Nyaroon



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Episode VIII: The Last Jedi, Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015)
Genre: Angst and Feels, Armitage Hux is a Jerk, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Eventual Smut, F/M, Fluff and Smut, Force Bond (Star Wars), Force-Sensitive Leia Organa, Frenemies, Gray Jedi Kylo Ren, Gray Jedi Rey, Hux is Not Nice, Jedi Rey, Jedi Training, Kylo Ren Angst, Kylo Ren Has Issues, M/M, Poe Dameron Needs A Hug, Self-Denial, Slow Burn, Slow Burn Rey/Kylo Ren, Slow Romance, Smut
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-02
Updated: 2019-02-05
Packaged: 2019-03-26 05:27:29
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 19
Words: 75,375
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13851057
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nyaroon/pseuds/Nyaroon
Summary: Just after the events at the Supremacy, we see Kylo Ren and Rey go their separate ways: Kylo struggling as the new Supreme Leader and Rey finding her worth as a Jedi. Both unable to come to terms with the state of their "relationship", they seek answers but their paths continue to cross, and will change them more than they care to admit.Really slow burn, have patience!





	1. Chapter 1

Rey was barely coming to it when the agonizing sounds of metal being ripped apart and electricity going wild struck her ears. Her vision was blurry, but when she recognized the crimson red of the room she immediately jumped to her feet, as she scanned it for anyone, she saw him. 

Lying on the floor with his hair covering his face and his arms just above his head, the pieces of Luke’s saber just in front of him; there he was, Kylo Ren, unconscious and ready to be struck down for good.

She quickly sprinted to pick up the remains of the saber, but slowed down as she got closer. Looking for signs of life, she noticed he was breathing steadily but did not stir. She slowly kneeled and peered down to see his face, which was placid and peaceful. If only, she thought. As much as she would have wanted, she didn’t feel able to place that final blow. One of her hands, almost by its own will, got closer to his face, almost touching it but she pulled away and grimaced…Again, if only…Never would she have such a chance again, but something stopped her ultimately. 

He had made his choice and even though he had pleaded for her hand, she couldn’t go with someone whose views completely antagonized her own. She stood up and looked down at him for a few seconds, feeling regret brewing inside of her stomach.

She kept her eyes on him just a little before darting towards the exit; the image of his peaceful and almost defenceless face would now haunt her, since he was now her sworn enemy.. 

______

 

After some days of drifting in space and constant badgering through communications, they finally succeeded in contacting an old friend from Leia and with his help, they were able to find a safe planet in the Outer Rim of the galaxy. Far from the First Order’s reach, hospitable and what was best, a resistance base from the times of the battle of Yavin: Dantooine, was the name of their new destination, known to have had jedi temples before. A stronghold long forgotten. It seemed like the perfect place to find shelter. 

Once they received the coordinates, they quickly made their way. Upon arrival, it was hard to spot the base considering it was meant to remain hidden; however, they later discovered it’s rich underground structure. It was like a small citadel: prepared to house a few hundreds of people and with a communications bay so complex that it hadn't gone outdated in its years of inactivity. The few survivors got to work and began dusting away, the plan was to stay for some time until things calmed down, to locate more allies who could help them into rallying more people to their cause and find a way to restock resources to sustain themselves in these critical times. 

They were set back and it would not be an easy task, but they did not call themselves the resistance for nothing.

Just as everything was settling and immediate danger dissipated, reality started to set in and they took real account for all the losses that they had suffered. When Rey looked around, what in other days had seemed a full colony, now was only a party of about 20 or so people, many of them injured but safe. It was harsh to look for familiar faces and not find them, but even harsher to see the emotional state of the remaining ones. 

The joy of finally seeing Finn again had been short lived, since he had started taking care of his new friend, a small woman named Rose; so the first few days they’d been in the base she hadn't seen much of him. She couldn't help feeling a little jealous; however, wouldn't she do the same thing for another? there was no space for such emotions in this dire situation. 

Thankfully for her, no one was excent of work at the base, even Leia had given the help she could to move things (at the chagrin of everyone) so she really didn’t worry about thinking too much about those things. Keeping a busy mind helped time move faster.

By the fifth day, Finn stumbled upon Rose sitting at the edge of the bed with a medical droid giving her one last check up and tending to the remnants of the injuries on her head. When she became aware of him her face lit up in surprise and was received with a hug, she seemed a lot better now. They engaged in conversation, focusing on the most recent activities only, when the droid was finally done did they exit the medical wing to head to dinner, Rose was starving.  
On their way, Rey came into the room too.

“Rey! Good to see you! What are you doing here!?” Finn said with a wide smile. 

“I was actually looking for you and they told me I could find you at the medical wing” 

“Oh, well I was, but Rose was. Ah! I haven't properly introduced you. Rey, this is Rose Tico” as Finn signaled Rose, she gave a sheepish smile

“H-h-hi, you’re Rey, right? I’ve heard so much about you, you’re a hero!” As much as she would’ve tried, Rose just couldn't hide her excitement.

“Me? You’re the one who saved Finn” at the same time, she nudged Finn, who only looked down quietly.

“I just couldn’t let him do… I…” as Rose fidgeted to find the words, they all fell in an uncomfortable pause. 

“Finn also told me about Canto Bight, but you have to tell me the details” interrupted Rey, feeling that the conversation was headed into a difficult topic. 

Rose smiled brightly and began her story with Finn chipping in every now and then. Rey amazed by the creatures and places they described, listened attentively. 

“And then the kid was about to alert the others, but then I showed him my resistance ring and he trusted me, they helped us, and then we escaped with the fathers and” 

“And what happened with the kid?” came Rey’s sudden interruption.  
“The kid...I-- I’m not sure.” she admitted. “I thought… that maybe, maybe we could go again for them, but everything happened so fast.”

Finn and Rey looked up surprised, Rey gave her a wide smile and Finn held her shoulder tightly.

“We will.” said Finn in a reassuring way. Rose gave a sad smile and nodded. 

Even though everyone was trying to remain cheerful and keep their spirits up, the painful truth was insidious and they would be reminded of what had happened in every little thing. Just like that, joyful banter would quickly become sour like it had happened with Rose and Finn. War was a nasty thing, and even if they did emerge victorious somehow, at what price?

They talked a little more before they all had to part ways, Finn had been helping out to move the arriving cargo.They were now accounting for the few provisions they had managed to salvage along with the aid. Rose couldn't wait any longer to return to her normal activities, so Rey took the opportunity to return to her own training. 

________

After 2 weeks of hard work at the new base, the effort had paid off and the place now seemed… hospitable. Just barely, but hospitable still. 

Since Rose had awaken, Finn had been looking for a chance to talk but he would always catch her at a bad moment, they would be interrupted or the day would simply end.  
And today was no different, when he was about to call her name and get her attention, he was called to go and give a hand moving the provisions that were arriving. Maybe he should just give up, he thought. 

He was appointed at the cellar, organizing boxes and crates with Poe. Apparently, since his demotion, he had little idea what to do with himself and was helping around, rarely seen at the hangars.

“How are you holding up, man?” Finn's tone was one of a worried friend. “you've been mostly quiet, it's very… unlike you.”

“I… yeah, it's just that I have a lot in my mind lately. It seems like yesterday that the base didn't have anymore space and now… “ his eyes staring into another direction, like looking for someone. Finn interjected.

“Yeah, but we're back on our feet again! No one’s sacrifice will be in vain.” he truly believed his words. “Rose always remembers her sister fondly but she’s also proud of her sacrifice.” 

“Rose… Tico? The sister of Paige Tico?” Finn couldn't read his face anymore he seemed as if he had seen a ghost. 

“Why, yes exactly, Rose Tico, how’d you know? I didn't…”

“I’m sorry Finn, I… I have to… go. I’ll see you around.”

And with that, Poe was gone, he gave him a pat on the shoulder before leaving Finn confused and worried. Was it something he said? Did he not like his company? But he didn't have much time to dwell on what he had said or what scared Poe away, Connix came running towards him; help was always necessary everywhere these days.

News that their call for aid had been answered spread like wildfire, but the official report came when Leia gave the nod to Connix, who couldn't run fast enough to the hangars, where everyone was most of the time. 

She almost cried from joy while giving out the news, finally some hope was making way into the torn hearts of everyone.

For the sake of celebration, everyone left their duties, to cheer, to talk, to share and even to give a second to mourn. Everything seemed to be looking up now and they wanted to relish on that just a little bit longer. Rey and Finn took the chance to talk a little.

“So, how’s the training going?”

“Hmmm, I don't know, half the things that I’ve read I don't understand, so it’s hard to say” said Rey with half a smile. 

“But, you must’ve learned a lot from Luke?” Finn, as always, was trying to remain hopeful.

“If you call three lessons as teaching, then yes. But other than that, nothing.” her tone was bitter - “But enough, tell me about Rose, how are things going?”

“Well, nowhere. What do you think? We’ve been doing nothing but work since we got here, there just isn't time for anything.”his tone was one of defeat. 

“But… there is something? right?, I’ve seen how you took care of her. Very caring indeed.” she gave him a sassy smile. Finn’s cheeks became pinkish and looked away. 

“I don’t know Rey, after what… happened, we haven't really talked about it or… what it means. I guess I don’t know how to bring up the topic. Should I?” he gave a puzzled look to Rey. Who at the same time was confused.

“I don’t know…”

They continued talking about it, drifted onto Luke and Leia, a bit of Poe’s strange demeanor and about what would they do form then on. Both uncertain but true to the principles of the Resistance, now that they were finally together, they could call this place home. Maybe they would never admit it or maybe they didn't need to, but they had found it with each other. 

________

Rey had been reading, training until her legs hurt and looking for spare parts non stop, using every pause or moment she was not helping to make something of what little she knew. Even if the air around the base had relaxed, she felt as if Kylo Ren was stepping on her heels and she had gotten close to nowhere. Any second she wasn’t doing something was a second the First Order had to their advantage; it was eating her away.

And today was no different, she was tinkering with the remaining pieces of the broken lightsaber, using her expertise the best she could to reassemble it into something that worked, with help from the old jedi texts which were turning out to be very difficult to read as they were written in an old dialect; it wasn't impossible but it was damn hard. However, exhaustion was slowly making way into her body. She would eventually need to sleep more than 3 hours.

She sighed loudly and stretched, after working on the floor with her back all bent, it felt as she was carrying a heavy rock. She was tired and frustrated, her mind weak and worn from the lack of sleep.  
What good was an unarmed and untrained jedi to the resistance? She had barely made it out of the Supremacy, she needed to carry on working, so she pushed the thought away and continued.  
While she went on toying with the pieces, a familiar sensation came to her: like a gentle and quiet buzzing at the back of her mind. Still too fresh in her memory, she shot her head up and saw that penetrating gaze.

Anger, disappointment and regret sparked in her stomach, but she could only say one thing.

“Why?” she crooned.

“Is this still happening? I really don't know. This should've died with Snoke” he angrily mused.

“No Ben, why did you stay with the First Order?” 

“Because I never intended to leave.” he interrupts while his face was calm and unwavering.

“But, the conflict in you, I felt it. The turmoil was... intense.”

“That conflict is long forgotten now. My resolve is stronger than ever, thanks to you.” his tone was cold and almost robotical.

She couldn't help but flinch at his words, unable to deny them, she added.

“Then you just went back to being the monster I first met” she was now sneering, her voice heavy with anger and disappointment.

“I don't remember ever being anything else.” but even if his tone was even, his face showed something different, but nothing clear. 

“I thought it could work!” she shot back angrily but just as he had appeared out of nothing, he vanished and left her with her emotions again in a turmoil. 

Without any time to recover, she heard another voice at her back.

“Are you ok, dear?” came a soft voice, none other than Leia’s.

Rey turned abruptly, startled and scared of what she had seen. She tried to clean whatever was on her face and tried to look as calm as she could.

“Yes, yes! Just a little frustrated with this thing.” showing the broken pieces of the sabre.

“Oh dear, you mustn’t, it’s already difficult as it is,”

“But if I could do it faster or help more, we would”

“Be the same” interrupted Leia “don’t blame yourself. You cannot carry the weight of the galaxy. You must understand that people make decisions, but in the end they come back to you” then she gave her a comforting look and pat, stood up and left Rey wondering if she had heard Ben.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We follow the Finalizer in this one: Kylo's angst, Hux's ugly face and some nervous crew members

The Finalizer had spent about five days traveling in hyperspace with no clear direction yet; the recent events had left the First Order suddenly crippled and in chaos. There had been discussions as to where to head next, but none seemed to please Kylo Ren, so all of them had been shot down. 

He vaguely remembered that Snoke had proposed at some point that they should return to Mustafar in order to oversee the manufacture of weapons and new strategies. But for him it seemed as retreating, and that was the last that he needed right now since his temper had finally crippled his judgment which had costed him the victory over the Resistance, it was one that would be long remembered in the logs of history, however not for his victory but because of his humiliating loss. 

He wouldn't let his new reign continue to be threatened by his own doing. For now, he was seeking to focus all of his energy into the settling. That’s why it was of most importance to choose the new base of the First Order carefully, they could not appear as beaten and needed to be more present than ever...

One place in particular had come to his mind. It was a planet that harbored some of the most important temples in history and where his late grandfather had once trained in his youth; he had previously visited the place with his parents and then again with Skywalker…

And for the first time he found himself wondering about what had happened those five days prior, in Crait. The battle and his “encounter” with Skywalker; maybe the only good thing about all this was that he was finally able to face him after so long, it had been short lived, but somewhat fulfilling to the point that he realized that he wasn’t really there and then discovered that it had only been a ruse. He had not earned the moniker of “Jedi Killer” for nothing, but two had already eluded his efforts.

Anger and rage began to well in his stomach and then, he remembered her face; anger quickly changed to frustration and… something else; he had believed in her, lied to Snoke for her and later killed him to protect her, and if everything had had a purpose, he couldn't see it right now. He didn’t know what was exactly what he felt, other than blatant betrayal, he had trusted her and offered her something he had never done. Yet she only saw what she wanted to see.

The old jedi’s insinuation was a dangerous one and he could not just dismiss it easily. The vision that he had seen when they touched hands had made him sure that she would eventually join him to stand by his side, so he couldn't just let her go on about to become a Jedi, she had a greater purpose with the First Order, with him.

But he had greater things to focus on right now, restoring the pride of the First Order was at hand, but also finishing his training. It had been in his master’s plans that he would become an important “tool” to his reign but never had he included for Kylo to become greater than him, one of the Sith masters trademark. Never to bestow power, instead, to usurp it. 

He was keeping himself busy with negotiations and military plans of the First Order, taking control of the whole thing had been complicated and even more so considering the suspicious way Snoke had been struck down. However, it was only Hux who was the closest to being a threat to his ruse but he knew better that to throw accusations without case, it was his word against the one of the supreme leader, he wasn’t taking any chances.

And being busy as he was now, he had dwelled very little on the events that had transpired at the throne room, trying to bury his emotions deep. 

He hadn’t wondered much about Rey and the resistance since their last encounter, both probably weak from the terrible battle with the First Order. It was now time to actually focus on the main purpose of the FO, claiming the last remnants of the galaxy under their rule and with the resistance in the brink of extinction, there was nothing stopping them. 

 

Hux bitterly agreed to hold the hunt and they took course to Coruscant, where once the empire had reigned powerfully. It was important for the First Order to be seen as the sole governance of the galaxy, but secretly, he had to pay a visit to the old jedi temple, the one where the great Vader once trained. 

By the sixth day, he requested Hux to be present at the reunion regarding the impending transference of the forces.

“There have been many changes around the base, mainly the terrible passing of our Supreme Leader: Master Snoke.” whispers and comments were heard. “But we must remain relentless and demonstrate the strength and determination of the First Order.” This time small murmurs of agreement were heard. He continued, “So, I have decided that it is time for our fleet to seek establishment to impose our presence to the galaxy. Coruscant was once the base of operations of the Galactic Empire, what a better place to be than the original base” 

Many of them nodded in unison, but only one single voice stood out of the rest. 

“But Ky- Supreme Leader, If I may say, we cannot let off the trail of the resistance, we must eliminate them completely and what a better moment than now,” Hux was already raising his voice when Kylo’s deep one interrupted.   
“And what is the point precisely of sending our whole fleet to that?” his tone was more than enough to clarify that he was not seeking an answer. 

There was a small silence that Kylo let linger. If Hux wanted to test his authority, he would gladly undermine his. 

“Excellent, we will be taking course immediately and as soon as we arrive we will summon all our allies and weapons suppliers. We must be prepared to take on the resistance without the need of heavy artillery.”  
Surprisingly, not only to Kylo but for everyone, Hux still dare to speak, his face as stoic as he could muster. 

“How long will we be staying… Supreme Leader?” Kylo pierced him with his eyes, keeping his calm. 

“Indefinitely.”

He had loved the face Hux made when he heard his answer. The man was insufferable as it was and now he was trying to constantly question his authority, but he couldn't take things so lightly. If he were to discover the truth about Snoke… But how would he? Hux would either need to interrogate him or Rey, and neither option was viable in any future. He would relish on making his life impossible. 

________

Upon arriving to Coruscant, the area was teeming with soldiers everywhere: unloading, preparing, cleaning, organizing, etc. There was much to do, and the inhabitants could also see that, as soon as they saw the FO’s ships, many went into the respite their houses offered: crossing paths with the FO was never a good thing. 

They had landed in front of one of the closest temples to the city, on what used to be the senate’s headquarters. They weren't exactly hiding their arrival, if anything, they wanted everyone to know where they where. Kylo came down accompanied by his escort of four stormtroopers, he deemed them unnecessary but sometimes a show of power was more important than practicality. Before disappearing into the temple, he saw in the distance the imperial palace, which was only a husk of what it used to be before in its days of glory, he was going to make sure that it was restored properly; he ordered his men to stand down as he entered the temple by himself. 

The insides where impressive, he gasped quietly as he admired the elegant architecture of the place, even if the passing of the years hadn't been gentle with it, its beauty was still something to be admired. He reached the center of the entrance and breathed in with his eyes closed, focusing on the energy that flowed in the place. It was almost like if it was breathing life of its own, teeming with emotions from a distant past. And then, with the speed of thunder, he saw flashes of memories; children looking up to a menacing figure, screaming and the heat of fire! the surprise made him lightheaded for a second, he looked around. This was were everything had begun. 

This would be the perfect place to continue on with his training. 

The distance felt much shorter when traveling by air, and almost like in an instant, they had already arrived to the Imperial palace. This time he wouldn't wait for ceremonious entrances, he was impatient for this. 

The other temple seemed small compared to the majestic structure of this one, the entrance alone was enough to awe him with its high ceiling and seemingly infinite archways, it brimmed with memories, both from the Jedi Order and the Galactic Empire. He had read about how, even before he was born, this place had been taken again and again by each side, starting off as a Jedi temple, then by Darth Sidious to use it as his palace up until the battle of Endor; he marveled at how the place had held together all those years, forgotten and crumbling like an old memory.

He continued on, walking down the aisle that led up to this enormous doors that seemed unaffected by the passing of time, he wondered if that had been the throne room, where once the great Sidious sat in all of his glory… He held his breath for a second before daring to push one of the doors. He was correct. 

The splendor of the once great room was still apparent even after decades, he continued his way and stopped for a minute to admire the throne, placed a hand on it and sat. 

He hadn't really noticed all the exhaustion that his body was experiencing until that moment, he hadn’t really slept since the battle of Crait. And almost against his will, he fell into a deep sleep.

….

He felt his heart pummeling against his chest and is eyes shot open, feeling disoriented and lost, he looked around trying to understand his surroundings; fire and red was all he could make out, he couldn’t remember how he had gotten there, then he saw a far figure wielding a blue lightsaber, fighting against a red armor. As he was beginning to remember, the red figure fell down lifelessly and the other one turned violently to see him. As he understood who it was, he became aware of his lit saber, crackling under his hand and the figure was now running towards him, yelling as it approached him. He lifted his saber to block and both lights collided in a show of sparks. Her face illuminated in red and blue. The girl. The scavenger. The Jedi.

His body felt disconnected and all he could do was poorly defend himself as if he was tied down by something, unable to properly move. Her every strike was full of anger and hate, and after several blows he came down to his knees dropping his weapon; unable to move, he only looked up to cast one final glance at the woman, almost pleading. Her lightsaber rose above his head, her face contorted in fury, and in a swift move, it came down.

GASP!

Kylo awoke covered in cold sweat and gasping as though he’d been drowning. As he recovered and recognized his surroundings again, his breathing became more even. He searched for Rey but found her nowhere. A dream? A vision? What had that been?

He barely collected himself when the captain barged into the room. 

“Supreme Leader, we have found old data regarding the old empire and we have finished searching the place as well.” He could feel him staring, he probably looked terrible.

“Good, show me.”

The man nodded curtly and waited for Kylo to follow him. They walked down the great aisle, to the right of the throne room, another long aisle with various doors on both sides, the second doors to the left were bigger than the rest. Inside them, they held something similar to the currently used control rooms of the First Order, there were various technicians already working on the consoles, examining the components and its conditions. 

Kylo looked around marveled with everything in front of him and spoke to the captain. “Start unloading and preparing the place immediately.” the captain gave another curt nod. “Now, about the information…”

“Right this way Sir” and they continued on their path.

They exited the room and walked down the aisle to the last door on the right. There was a small communications room, like a personal office or a surveillance room. A tall, skinny man with curly blond hair sat in the the only chair available, tinkering with what appeared to be a comm. 

“Salute your superiors!” roared the captain, the young man stood up, startled and his big glasses fell to the ground by the sudden movement. 

“Sorry Sir, I…” but the captain interrupted with his orders. The technician fumbled with his tools and began typing and clicking at the console in front of him. Soon after, the holocron started to flicker and a figure appeared:

“... apprentice, I have contacted…” - Kylo recognized the figure and ordered the technician to stop it, and with a jolt he did so. 

Kylo turned around to face the captain and muttered so only he could hear “You are to report all your findings to me Captain, and only me, is that clear?” the man stared a little dumbfounded, Kylo had to insist. “Are we clear?” he said with more force, sneering. 

“Yes!, Supreme Leader” the captain was obviously nervous. And for more effect Kylo added

“Never doubt my orders captain. Next time you won't have a chance.” the captain’s jaw clenched and he held his breath before nodding and uttering a small “Yes, Supreme Leader”.

“Now, leave” ordered Kylo, and in a second he was alone. He pressed the button and the recording continued. 

“... someone that you must meet,it is important that you explore the outer rim to find what you seek…” the recording stopped, and began again. The looping image was none other than Darth Sidious, the former emperor. To find this treasure on the first scouting could only mean that more would surface... 

 

Without a doubt, this place hid unimaginable things.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did you like it? If you did, leaves your thoughts and comments :)  
> And if you loved it, share with other Reylo fans ;)
> 
> P.S:I'll be updating every week, on fridays. Hopefully work will allow it...


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rey spends some alone time to think and trying to understand things. Some awkward chit chat and a little bit of Finn and Rose

A month had already passed since they arrived to Dantooine and everyone was already working like clockwork, small fixes were still needed but the new base was up and running like nothing had happened. As things settled, the story about Luke Skywalker had spread like wildfire, inspiring everyone and lighting the small spark of hope that had almost dwindled. It was part of what kept everyone going.

But Rey  was both amazed at such a feat and frustrated. In what moment was it that one became such a formidable Jedi? Or more importantly, when would she become a Jedi? What made one a legend?. So, every minute since her return from Ach-To was a chance for her to look at the old textbooks again, trying to find answers, if she wanted to be of any help as the resistance’s only Jedi she really had to hurry. On the other hand, not everything was going badly.

 

Barely a week or so into arriving to Dantooine she had stumbled upon a hideout while wandering about the surroundings of the base. It consisted mostly of green or yellowing  plains of grass with hills, that reminded her of the dunes of Jakku, and small bare mountains. In one of those times, she was exploring a hill close to resembling a mountain but the unstable rocks made her lose her footing and fall down it, painfully landing on a bushed area below. It took her a few minutes to gather herself because, even though she didn’t get serious injuries, everything ached although the pain was forgotten when she became aware of her surroundings. A small lake sparkled with clear blue water in the middle of a clearing of tall light green grass full of blooming flowers of colors one could only dream of in Jakku; she admired the view with detail, which was hidden from view by the tall thick trees that had grown thanks to the humidity that was preserved by the mountains surrounding them. The serenity of the place allowed her to really feel the force around her, unlike the base that was always bustling with activity. She instantly donned it the perfect spot to practice and read in quiet.,  

 

So every now and then she would run off to her hideout to meditate or train, she would sneak out when people were taking brief breaks or when she deemed herself unnecessary for certain tasks. She would drop her things and immediately get practicing with her staff, which she was rather good with, or so she thought. Then, after finishing, she would sometimes meditate and then give herself a refreshing wash in the lake, enjoying the cold water on her hot and aching body.

 

However, more and more, her mind would betray her and would wonder about Kylo Ren, eliciting feelings that she could not and didn’t want to understand. Today she had decided to train for a good while and don’t mull over on things, keeping her mind as busy as possible… but her thoughts proved her wrong; she just couldn't ignore the nagging feeling this time. Even after training for a good while, her movements wouldn’t flow as easy as other days, she felt clumsy and disoriented; so she stubbornly stopped and sat down to rest.

 

Her mind immediately went back to their last connection, which had been some weeks ago, his words just going on like a loop in her mind. Making her feel stupid and gullible, maybe he had made it seem as if he was caught in an internal turmoil, showing her what she wanted to see; however it had felt so genuine and bare...

 

In consequence, she would take over her studies almost obsessively in an attempt to crowd her mind with more information. She was reading more about the meaning of the Force, the origin of the Jedi Order and how to make her own lightsaber, this last bit being her main interest. According to Luke, it was one of the most exciting and revealing rites of passages during the training to become a Jedi. Going through the old texts and some of Luke’s things ( notes about a so called “Obi Wan Kenobi”), she had come up with some schematics as to how to make her own.

 

One day in particular, Rey didn’t notice how much time had passed and as she was leaning against a tree while reading, her body began to relax and little by little she started to doze off and before she knew it, she was falling asleep.

 

Suddenly her body was hot, with her adrenaline rising like a tsunami, breathing agitated and panting unable to sense anything but herself. As her vision became clear, a blade came directly at her and she rose her saber to block it, white shone in front of her as she instinctively stroke down her enemy. Then, as if driven by an animal urge she turned around and saw her next prey, who was already beaten and on his knees, barely standing. She swiftly turned around to ran towards it in a frenzy, a frenzy she could not control, like something primal and familiar was in command of her body. She quickly reached her next enemy. But then she saw who it was. That man. Kylo Ren.

 

Fear and guilt struck her like lighting, now desperate to stop her body, but it was a pull stronger than herself that commanded her and as she lifted her saber above his head. She looked down and met his pleading eyes, brimming with unshed tears. She couldn’t stop, her mind screaming to stop but her body moving on it’s own. No, she didn’t want it this way, it couldn’t end like this. And then she struck down.

 

GASP!!

 

Rey sat up violently, her heart beating hard against her chest ready to burst. The pit of her stomach was filled with all kinds of emotions: fear, anger, hate, confusion.

She was heaving trying to figure out what had happened as she sat in silence, she began scanning the place for danger but she only saw the quiet meadow and her heart began to settle, yet her mind began to work. What had that been? A memory altered by emotions? A vision? And if it was a vision... of what? The past? The future? Could a connection happen while she slept? Had she… Her heart sank and tried to calm down again. Luke told her about the dreams and visions a Jedi could have, and that some, more than others, would show her what she wanted to see rather than the actual future. To act upon them wouldn’t always be wise.

 

Her questions only just led to more, so with a loud sigh she laid on the grass and tried to calm herself down, but as she felt the drowsiness creep back, her eyes shot open in realization of something: time. How long had she been asleep?

 

She hurriedly rummaged through her satchel, washed down in the river and put on a set of clean clothes. Time flew by fast when she was there and this time she’d really lost track of it; she had arrived somewhere about noon and the sun was close to setting now. She had to hurry back before making anyone worry or suspicious.

 

On her way to the base, she was mulling over what had transpired, it had been a while since she’d felt rage and fear like that, so much that she could still feel the adrenaline rush…

It’d also been a while since she dreamed, before it would normally be about her parents but those had stopped since her stay in Ach-To. As if the force bond with B-Kylo Ren wasn't enough, now she was experiencing this kind of confusing dreams, were they part of the bond they shared? It had already gone long enough and she wasn’t doing anything to control it or have it in check at least, she shouldn't ignore this.

But that thought got lost in her racing mind as she visualized the base from afar, and other thoughts about her friends and her role in the resistance  became more relevant.

 

                                                                                                       ___________

  


The next day, Rey left her room feeling a lot more relaxed but not very rested, the previous one was a dreamless one, so she was more relaxed about that but she’d spent the night wondering if she should tell someone about her problem, if it could be of any help to other or if would only make her a paria. Finn’s disappointed look made her doubt. Leia on the other hand… could she understand? Then again, she told herself that it was nothing to worry, that maybe it would just fade, and then the loop she was caught in restarted.

 

To take her mind off things she decided to find Rose, she had been intending to ask for her help to fix some minor problems the Millenium Falcon had, Chewie had been way too busy helping everyone to be able to handle it himself, he got to make some fixes back in Ach-To, but after Crait, it was problem after problem all over again. And anyways, she could always do with some company.

After asking around, she finally found her at the power room. Rose was with her head deep into a console, tinkering with it while cursing at the malfunctioning machine.

 

Rey got closer, trying to make eye contact, but she just didn’t turn around. So she just let a shy hello, trying to get her attention as delicately as possible since she seemed really focused.

 

Rose visibly flinched and the sound of another’s voice and loud thunk came from inside of the console, she slowly pulled out and place one hand on her head, rubbing it carefully  “Rey, what are you doing around here?” she looked surprised now and her voice gave away her excitement.

 

Feeling guilty, Rey apologized about the head bump and helped her up to her feet, she went on with her plan “Well, I was wondering if we could work on the  the fixes the Millenium Falcon needed. Do you remember?… Well do you think we could do it, now?”

Rose did some remembering and the jumped to and answer “Yes! Sure, let me just give this one final adjustment and we’ll be on our way” and so she did. Rey decided to wait outside of the room while Rose finished what she was doing, there was nothing she could help her with anyways. When Rose finally finished up and came out, she caught Rey fiddling with pieces of metal and making quiet ship noises.

 

“Rey?” she was startled when hearing her name and she immediately dropped what she was doing. “Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you like that.” apologized Rose.

 

“No, no. I was just… distracted” she said while a red tinge crept to her cheeks. They didn't comment on it at all and made their way to the hangars.

 

Once there, Rey showed Rose to the ship and indicated all that had to be done to it from a weapons check up to burnt light fuses. Simple yet bothersome things. They immediately got to work; Rey had a way with mechanics, but electronics wasn't her forte, being able to jump start a ship or getting it to start without clearance, other than that, she knew zilch. Rose worked with that like if it was another extension of herself. In the meantime, they talked about everyday things: food, people, things to do and Finn. Rose blushed intensely when they touched the topic.

 

“Finn was my very first friend. A bit overprotective at first, but we understand each other now. But now all he does is talk about you” Rey didn't have a lot of expertise in these things, so she failed to notice what she had said and implied.

 

“I’m sorry if I got in between”, Rose seemed sad all of a sudden and Rey gave her a puzzled look.

 

“In Between what? Finn and me? What? No! I meant that, that… that he likes you”

 

Rose’s cheeks turned a bright red and she just stared quietly.

 

“He likes me?” and just then did Rey realize what she had done.

 

Somehow she managed to deal with the mess she’d made, and tried to clarify things. She wasn’t sure if she succeeded.

  


After a few hours of working non stop, and avoiding Finn related topics, they finished fixing the last of the issues the Falcon had.

 

“Finally!” Rey said stretching, with a wide smile on her face.

“I’m starving, let’s go get something” suggested Rose.

 

And so, they made their way to the dining room, thankful that provisions were arriving on a steadier pace and gave them enough sustenance for about 6 months. When they arrived, to Rose’s dismay, Finn and Poe were already sitting at one of the tables, it was obvious she wasn't ready for this. They got their rations and sat down with them.

 

Noticing the red cheeks of the technician, Finn asked “Rose, you feeling alright? you seem feverish” but that just added more to her embarrassment.

 

“Im-I’m, I’m alright! Just a bit tired from working on the ships”

“You should be careful Rose” piped in Poe. He seemed distracted.

 

“Leave her guys, she can handle herself” interrupted Rey with a smirk. Rose gave her a private look and a small smile of thanks. It was the least Rey could do.

 

They went on chatting but it was mostly between Finn and Rey since Poe was looking gloomy and Rose would only laugh nervously when asked to comment or gave short answers.  She wasn't the only one being strange though, Rey noticed that Finn was fidgeting and every now and then he would give nervous looks in Rose and Poe’s direction. Rose ate a lot faster than everyone else and excused herself almost immediately; it was unusual since she would normally stay. As she was walking down the aisle, Finn quietly peered.

  


Trying to brighten the mood, Rey quipped.

 

“So tell me Poe, how do you feel in the new base, I haven't had a chance to really talk with you” this time, Finn then looked at Poe more attentively.

 

“Well, to be honest it's just the same, I’ve been moving with the Resistance for a while now, so moving already feels like a routine” he had a tired demeanor and so did his voice. “But some things you just don’t get used to…,” this time he seemed more absent.

 

“Like what?”  interjected Finn, hopeful to pick up in the conversation.

 

“I…,”  Poe looked startled, as if caught daydreaming “ No… nothing, I- I have to go, sorry” and just like that he picked up his tray and left. Leaving behind a confused Rey and an even more worried Finn.

 

Rey could see that she wasn’t the only one who had something going on, but they were all being secretive about it, and she was just being caught in the midst of it all.

                                                                                                     _______

  


After such an uncomfortable lunch Finn needed to have a serious talk. He’d been giving it some thought throughout the week and after what had happened at the table he knew that something was not okay. He walked through a few corridors, said hello’s to some people and finally made it to the door he was looking for.

 

He nervously knocked, and awaited a response.

 

The door opened and from it came a small voice. “Finn?, what are you doing here?”  said Rose blushing.

 

“I- I was wondering if we could talk,” he seemed a bit nervous “but we just haven't had a chance and today you were... strange. I was worried”

 

“Yes, let’s talk. I was about to head out but it can wait. Come on in,” and Finn followed inside.

 

The room was just like the others, a bed inside the wall with integrated lights on top, a small table with one chair and a door in the wall to serve as a closet.

Finn stood awkwardly in the middle of the tiny room until Rose told him to sit at the table, she took out a spare chair that was folded in the closet.

 

“I don't really know how to start this, umm” Finn fidgeted, unable to focus on the words that he’d been rehearsing the past hour. “Look, umm... things have been busy and we haven't had time to really talk… about… that thing, the other time” Rose looked down, obviously remembering.

  


_They had had a small rendez-vous at a quiet space in the hangar, away from all the noise._

 

_“What is it Finn? Are you okay? You look tired”_

_“I’m fine Rose, I just really need to see you,” he was indeed tired and nervous. “It’s just that… We need to talk about what… happened… with, us” and as he finished, he took hold of one of Rose’s hands._

 

_Rose blushed, “I don’t know… I think… I”_

 

_But as she was about to speak, Poe calls them from the other side for a reunion._

  
  
  


“I haven't really thought about it Finn, everything has happened so fast.. I don't know how I feel,” she said while looking at her lap and fidgeting, feeling out of place.

 

“But you… you kissed me Rose,” he was beginning to feel daunt.

 

“… I… Rey said that you talk a lot about me… do you, really? I thought that you and Rey, had something. I did it without thinking and when I met Rey I felt terrible. I’m not like that Finn…”

 

“Wait, stop. What? Me and Rey, wait no, no, no, no. We’re not… together like that. We’re friends” Finn truly looked worried now, that wasn’t the kind of impression he wanted to give. He did really care about Rey, what they had was special but it wasn’t romantic. .

Rose looked up with her brow furrowed in confusion, “No Rose, it’s not like that, of course not. I would never do something like that” insisted Finn, he could see a glint of hope in her eyes.

 

“Rose, we could find out how we feel… together…”

 

Rose stayed quiet for what felt like an eternity to Finn, and she finally looked up, with a shy smile.

 

“Yeah, let’s do that”

  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was a long chapter! It took some time to push this one out since I've been quite busy, but I hope things get steadier from here on. Please comment and share ;)


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We confirm that Hux is an ass and that Kylo as many issues more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted to dwelve a little more on Hux's point of view, to help out the plot develop and show what is going on with the Order. This was a little bit more difficult to complete, as we want to really grasp part of the conflict betwwen this twho guys. 
> 
> Enjoy!

As the First Order gained more and more control over Coruscant, things were slowly adjusting for the first time in the last 3 months now since their arrival and Kylo had put several units to work on the most damaged parts of the palace; some were still inaccessible but many of the main areas were already up and running, being used again for their intended purpose. Since then, he had explored the place very little, mainly focusing on the training grounds and command rooms, but time was now a luxury for him, his transition into being Supreme Leader had been more consuming than expected.

 

Other than his new responsibilities, he now had to live with the constant reminder that Crait had possibly been one of his worst failures in his path to the dark side and as his first battle as Supreme Leader… In his dreams the fight against Skywalker would play over and over, and he could only repeat the same mistakes; only adding on to his misery and to the foul mood that was over him lately.

 

Of course none had dared to mention anything, but Kylo could hear the small whispers and rumors that flew by his mind every now and then: _They say it was him… the jedi was stronger._ It was something that was happening more often now that Snoke was dead, the silence in his mind would let this whispers slip by, and he couldn't yet say what was more annoying. His pride had received wounds much deeper that the ones he got in the Starkiller base, those would take much longer to heal.

 

Another change with which he was not happy about was that Hux was now over him like a hound, using every excuse he had to appoint meetings with him. He knew he wasn’t hiding his intentions to him but Kylo couldn’t be overly suspicious or he could give himself away to Hux. He was most certain that he only intended to keep an eye on him; after the events on Crait and the Supremacy, Hux’s mistrust on him had reached new levels. There was no way he could find out what had really happened in the Supremacy, so he would only have to deal with him in the meantime.

 

And to make it worse between dealing with Hux, the nightmares and the pressure of all, he had to deal with the connection with Rey, lately he’d begun to wonder if she was experiencing the same since he would sometimes feel glimpses of her emotions through the bond, the dream in the throne room would repeat but sometimes he could feel her; or hear pieces of conversations, but never enough to be useful. He had to find a way to control these connections, but the everyday requirements of his position were too demanding.

 

The last time he had seen her, she had left him a question in the air, she had asked him to explain but she had closed that door herself when she reached for his saber.  And every time he remembered it, rage would burn in his chest, and the same question would come up again. What could she possibly want to understand from him? how could she reject what he had offered her? How could she not see what he had done for her? He could’ve taught her more than Luke could possibly imagine. Every time his blood would boil and he would have to recenter himself and focus; she was nothing but a hindrance now, appearing randomly and disturbing his control; connections that would generally last seconds or mere minutes but never enough to get past the intense staring, never more than that last time.

 

But one in particular did and it had gone terribly wrong.

 

He was in another of the thousands of meetings that Hux had arranged, this time to overview the guns and ammo dealings with merchants from the Outer Rim planets. They were trying to get into business with the First Order in an attempt to have more presence in the market. He might find these reunions exceedingly unnecessary but he still paid attention.

 

The merchants were going on about what they could offer as providers when the strange feeling and tickling of the force came to his senses and he was now hearing the faint fluttering and chirping of birds around him, as he realized what was happening he slightly turned to see her. Almost automatically he held his breath as he saw her, sitting across the table with her eyes closed, looking peaceful and bea **—** beckoned by something. He could feel himself staring and how odd that would look, so he tried to keep a calm demeanor to not arise suspicion.

 

However, Hux rose his voice to interrupt one of the merchants, action that made Rey flinch and open her eyes, she turned around and their eyes met. He could not avoid how much his own eyes could express, how much they wanted to demand, and hers were also full of emotions wanting to say more than they could. They stared for what seemed eons but he managed to tear his gaze away, he shouldn’t be consumed by her.

 

They remained in silence while Hux continued on about the plans, that somehow took a strange turn. “I understand that some of your routes take you to the Outer Rim; and we have intel on possible enemies of the First Order, but we do not have their positions yet. I believe that your position will be of most advantage to us ” One of the merchants looked fidgety and had a worried look, apparently just realizing what he was getting himself into.

 

“And what are you suggesting we do Hux?” said Kylo, his tone bored, completely looking over her.

 

Looking annoyed under the surface, Hux curtly answered “To find them obviously, Supreme Leader”

 

“And how do you plan to do that? By following leads from lowly merchants? and turn this into what? A wild bantha chase?”  he questioned, his temper flaring again.

 

Hux leered at him and remained quiet, gaining momentum “Well, it is important to show that the First Order shows no mercy, we mustn't allow them to become comfortable, we have to show others what happens if they do not **—** comply” he said as he left unclear what would happen with the prisoners, the wicked smile that crept in his face left it pretty clear. Hux was a monster, but so was he.

 

Her face began to show worry and he had to get out of there, the connection was lasting longer than he estimated “Very well, go on with your plans, give the orders and report to me when you complete it.” he said just as he was standing up, everyone turned to look at him quietly.

 

But she wasn’t going with it, with eyes wide open in bafflement, she yelled “NO!! You can’t do that!” she screamed, she was awfully quiet the whole time, Kylo was surprised she could pull that but she finally lost it as she understood what was happening.

 

He merely stared at her and turned around to continue his path. Everyone in the room was confused, as it seemed he would add something more to the meeting, but only left without a word. He walked silently through the corridors, looking for a lone place to talk if the connection still continued, he began going to the training area. Meanwhile, Rey followed him closely from behind, demanding his attention however he was shutting her out with other thoughts like if she would hit something while walking behind him, maybe it could say something from where the planet she was in now.

 

But her voice gained volume in his head, she caught up to him when he finally came into a sudden halt, he was finally in an isolated corridor.

 

Clearly riled up, Rey went on “Listen to me! Don’t you care about other people's’ lives? How can you allow this to happen?” she said, but his anger was much stronger than his compassion.

 

He turned around in an instant and took her with his left arm by her right arm roughly, her face twisted in pain and she winced quietly.

However, he momentarily paused as the surprise of the sudden contact washed over both; unlike the first time, he could not feel the warmth of her skin, but he could definitely feel the volume of her arm, like solid smoke. He tightened his grip and pulled her closer, her feet tiptoeing and his back hunched over her, now his face inches away from her, their eyes locked in battle.

 

“You listen to me!” he roared, holding her in place “You only see through the lies of the resistance. Have you stopped to see what I’m trying to do? I AM TRYING TO BRING ORDER TO THE GALAXY!”, his voice was louder now and his temper flared violently through the bond, she had run his patience dry.

 

But she held her ground, she remained silent and was giving him that defiant look he was coming to despise; he scowled almost with disgust and he immediately let her go as if it had burnt him, she refused to look away but her eyes were now wild with bafflement.

 

“What? Are you even listening to yourself? You destroyed a whole system, you’re sick!” she said, now frantic.

 

Through gritted teeth he spat, “I’m sick? And you? So desperate to belong someplace… You are only in this because it makes you less lonely, to feel that someone cares for you, you’re doing this only for your **—** ”. A swift slap crossed his face, hard enough that it made him look sideways,  a burning sensation spreading like fire. He went quiet, taken aback by the sudden contact, slowly lifting his hand to the already stinging area, then he looked up he saw some Stormtroopers ogling at him with curiosity, but quickly scurried away when discovered. When he returned his gaze, she was already gone.

 

His hand remained on his face, thinking what had fueled his words. The pain on his cheek was slowly beginning to throb, but there was more to it; in his chest, he felt something like the bowcaster shot he’d received, was it her pain? Had his words caused that?

He couldn't help but reminiscence about the time they first touched, how ironic to be thinking of that now. But then, he also felt something wet and the unmistakable smell of iron, as he looked at his left hand he saw his glove covered in the crimson glow of blood. He stared momentarily, then he balled his hand into a fist and felt his stomach turn.

 

                                                                                                                  ____

 

He didn’t really pay attention to how long it had been after he left the meeting, he shut off his comm. After the run with Rey, Kylo decided to retire himself to the throne room, the only room in the palace where he could have solitude **—** aside from stormtroopers guarding the place of course. He knew that after striking out of the meeting like he did, automatically signed up himself for another meeting with Hux. If Hux didn't already defy him he now had deal with his somewhat ominous presence.

 

Both Snoke and him knew that Hux had delusions of greatness, were mostly led by  his enormous ego that had been fed by his former master, himself and by his own narcissistic personality. He didn't know what he would be willing to do for power but he could get a pretty good idea. The cur only obeyed his original owner of course, but a cur nevertheless, he would be made to obey one way or the other.

 

Living up to his name, not even an hour had passed when Hux decidedly barged into the throne room. Kylo was facing the window really considering if turning around was worth it. But then came the sound of a clearing throat; how petulant indeed.

 

“Ky **—** ” but as soon as he spoke he stopped himself, realizing his error.

 

“You come unannounced and then fail to show respect” spat Kylo, without turning around to see him.

 

Through gritted teeth, Hux managed to utter and apology, “pardon my rudeness, Supreme Leader”. It really amused him that Hux had such an ability to turn anything into an insult.

 

He smiled to himself before turning to see him “What do you want this time?”

 

Lightly lifting his chin like avoiding his words, Hux continued “I must inform you about the search troops in Kesse” he said, his tone was one for bad news.

 

“And?”, his impatience leaking.

 

“And” echoed Hux, adding momentum to his statement. “They managed to find a small rebel cell as it was informed to us but as they maneuvered to capture, most of the rebels escaped. They only managed to capture 3 of and estimated 30 individuals” he said with a condescending tone, implying more than he let on, much to Kylo's impatience.

 

“And why is it necessary that you come personally to tell me this?” he said while approaching Hux with a menacing demeanor.

 

“Because your strategy to hide the First Order is not working Kylo. With all forces focused here, we can't make a proper move, it’s squandering our power, disgracing the name of the Order!” his voice rising now, seething with disgust and malevolence.

 

In other times, Kylo would have restricted himself from seriously harming Hux, only because his former master forbid it, he was only useful to him alive. But that wasn’t the case anymore and his victory was cut short as he was violently pushed back against the wall, slamming hard and coming down hard on his back with a loud thud on the floor.

 

“WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE?”, roared Kylo, his rage seeping through his voice. Like a predator, he strode over to him, keeping his wild eyes on his prey. Hux was now trying to stand up, his hands shaking and his eyes full of fear. As Kylo reached without touching him, he lifted him, gripping his throat and squeezing hard, barely letting him breathe. “You think you can do as you please just because you are a general?. Let me tell you that you are far more replaceable than you think”, he said, his voice raspy and menacing, tightening his hold on Hux, whose eyes became wide in desperation, gasping for air and failing to do so. Kylo relished on the fear he sensed from Hux, a break from the constant petulance coming from him.

Just as Hux’s eyes began to face and pasty skin started to turn a light shade of blue Kylo let his grip go. He fell like a rock to the polished floor, croaking and coughing loudly while he knelt, his eyes bloodshot and tearing.

 

Kylo crouched next to him, who visibly flinched. “You should be grateful I haven't killed you” he said, now in a whisper. He stood up and let Hux stand up and regain what little remained of his composure, still unable to breathe properly but his expression impassive again.

 

“This was only a warning, General. There won’t be a next time”, he said, walking past him towards the door. In an instant, Hux took the opportunity to take hold of him by the arm, the guard quickly lifted their weapons, but with a wave of Kylo’s hand they lowered them again.

 

“Time will prove me right, Ren” he threatened with a low raspy voice. He knew the risk to his life that his words carried, but he would let himself be humiliated like that, not by him. Kylo merly glared at him and Hux let him go, partially out of fear, and strode off.

 

Left alone inside the throne room, he pondered a little about his former leader. Snoke had been violent before, but this was just barbaric. He then followed behind. He walked down the corridor in direction to the communications bay. Luckily, the hallways to the throne room where almost empty, so with his left hand he touched where he'd felt the hold of Kylo, there was no pain to the touch but he could still feel the pain on his throat, if that even made sense.

 

He knew that Kylo was nothing but a joke when it came to commandeering, only being used to following Snoke’s orders without any actual initiative and the little one he had had, ended up miserably. It was obvious that the next one in command was himself but Kylo had used **—** intimidation, usurping power since he held no official post before.

 

However, he would obtain what was rightfully his, one way or the other. Snoke’s pet was but a mere obstacle in his path to become Supreme Leader; he had not risen to power by measure of nothing, Kylo Ren and his outdated Force would eventually fold against the technology and military expertise.

 

But working with him was turning out to be more tedious than expected. He believed him to be an unstable man who relied too much on the Force, which should’ve made him easy to manipulate, just as Snoke had done. Yet Kylo was proving to be even more unpredictable than before: less prone to tantrums and somewhat more collected, howbeit more dangerous now.

 

Although not everything was a loss, since their arrival to Coruscant, he had ordered some troopers to keep  an eye on him, under the impression that the Supreme Leader could not go unguarded in such dangerous times; begrudgingly, Kylo had accepted.

 

So this was just a matter of patience and strategy, and no one was better than himself at it. Rising to power at such a young age was something that only one with ambition could do and he had plenty. Supreme Leader Armitage Hux, how he liked the ring of it.

  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, what did you think? any comments and critique is welcomed! Until the next week then :)


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rey has to decide what to do after her "conversation" with Kylo. The resistance receives visits.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a pretty long chapter, compared to the others. Next ones will be somewhat similar since the plot is thickening and we have more things to cover each chapter! Enjoy!

As every other day, today is a busy one at Dantooine’s base, everyone’s doing something or on their way somewhere, the place is bustling with activity. But in a lonely corridor where everything is quiet and muffled, Rey is standing all alone, one of her hands throbbing, her breathing altered and her eyes looking beyond her surroundings, searching for the person that was just there with her. 

 

She was at disarray with her emotions, trying to focus and center herself but all she could think about was him. His poisonous words, his hold on her, his angry eyes, which, since she saw them for the first time, gave so much away, unable to hide the emotions that he so despised. The turmoil inside of her is strong, all because of what Kylo arose inside her, the fresh memory running wild in her mind; his eyes not only angry but somewhat, desperate? 

 

Her thoughts going at light speed, trying to determine if something had really changed in their relationship or if it even counted as one. Had he really changed at all? Was it all a ruse? was it worth the risk? The questions played inside her head in a loop, but another part of her didn’t want to believe that, she  _ couldn’t _ . 

 

She had felt it in the elevator at the Supremacy and she had felt it again: his raw, uncontrolled turmoil. It was just impossible to believe that someone would be able to fake such primal and bare emotions. 

 

However, she stumbles again on a question that she had long forgotten now. Should she continue with this secret? Their connections along the months had been short and sporadic, unable to even start a conversation, yet giving them a small glimpse to the other’s life, even if brief. But this time she’d heard information that, if maybe not able to turn the tables, it would give them the ray of hope that the galaxy desperately yearned for.

 

She knew that the prisoners’ life depended on the sole decision of telling Leia about the connection, what would change if she did or didn't?.

She slowly placed her back to the walls of the corridor and sank to the floor in an attempt to get a hold of herself and think clearly, she rested her head on the hard surface behind her. She had two options: to tell Leia and let her call the shots, maybe even just contemplating the danger of the situation would deter her, abstaining from taking any risks. Or to keep it to herself and carry the weight of the prisoners’ deaths

 

But she knew what had to be done, be it what it might, she had to tell Leia, and give the resistance all the fighting chances she could.

 

She buried her head into her hands and sighed loudly. Why couldn't things be simple again? But simple meant not having known Finn or the others and then she went back to the endless circle of her thoughts. Going on about questions without answers.

She didn't know for how long more she went on like that, but she was taken out of her trance by someone tapping her shoulder. And for a millisecond, she wondered.

 

Ben?

 

But it was gone as soon as it sparked, and she saw Finn looking over her with a quizzical look, worried and confused.

 

“What are you doing all the way here?” I've been looking for you, you know" he said, almost berating her, but she couldn’t help the feeling that came along the surprise: disappointment.

  
  


She had been churning away the whole morning apparently, but when she sprang up to her feet, Finn was startled.

 

“I need to find Leia” she said, with resolve in her eyes.

 

“What?. Leia?” He sputtered and she nodded “I uh, saw her on her way to the command room, why?” He questioned, but it needed to wait.

 

“I need to talk to her! I have to go now, but i’ll see you at the courtyard” she said, the last part shouted as she was making way to see Leia.

 

On her way, she stumbled upon C-3PO, he was more than eager to help and told her she was running late to a meeting, then tried to stop her as she made way and pathetically desisted as he realised he wasn't made to chase people. A few turns and corridors later she found herself in front of the doors leading to the commutations bay; it was until then that she  _ realized _ that she hadn't really thought what to say. She stood stupidly for a few minutes, muttering to herself 'Leia, you must listen to me. Leia, I have important information. Leia- ‘ but then someone exit and she was suddenly in front of all the commanders, generals and officers at the base (not that there were many) and she had no other option but to barge into the room. The silence was abrupt and all eyes were on her, including Leia’s. 

 

Leia’s voice came gently. “What is it Rey? You look like you just saw a ghost”  Rey swallowed in embarrassment but kept her cool.

 

“I really need to talk to you Leia” she said, it hadn't come out as she had expected, everyone in the room looked at her in confusion and then to Leia.

 

“Can it wait? We’re in the middle of something” she said while pointing out the schematics in front of her.

 

“No, it can’t! I, I saw something,” she blurted, unable to say anything else that didn't expose the truth, her eyes burning a hole into Leia, trying to get her to know what she meant. Then the silence broke as everyone started whispering, Leia seemed to recognize her plea, then accepted and dismissed everyone from the room.

  
  


As they were left alone, Leia sat and invited Rey to sit with her.

 

“ What is it that you saw Rey?,” She asked.

 

Rey took a deep breath and remembered all that had happened after her encounter with Kylo in Takodana. How their connection had shaped not only their paths, but their feelings as well. What she was about to confess also revealed the small feelings that she harboured for Ben Solo, but then again, the life of others were more valuable that secrets.

She looked at Leia again and began to describe  her time in Ach-To with Luke up until the meeting that had sprung her to reach out to the general herself.

 

…

  
  


When she had finished, her throat was dry, her stomach uneasy and her nerves a wreck. What Leia had to say in that moment would define her role in the resistance. She’d been fidgeting with her hands through all the conversation but when she lifted her head too look at her she saw, to her surprise, that Leia was calm.

 

“Then what you tell me confirms my suspicions of the other day” she mused, Rey stared with big eyes of surprise,

 

“What do you mean?” She dumbly said.

 

“Well, that time I found you angrily berating your construct, I thought to have heard Ben’s voice. But then again, it was impossible. Until now” 

 

“But, how did you know it was him? She questioned, only to be embarrassed.

 

“Well, I could never forget my son’s voice” she said adamantly.

 

Rey looked down, feeling stupid for making such a question. But Leia didn’t give her much time to dwell.

 

“If what you say comes to happen, then the resistance and the galaxy are in grave danger. Maybe this will be the first of many raids, so we must warn all of our allies and tell them to be on the move as soon as possible.”

 

“And what about the ones already captured?” She inquired.

 

Leia’s face immediately changed and her calm demeanor was now a serious and stern one. The face of a woman who’d seen war and its  _ consequences. _

 

“I can't give you an answer. They are in the heart of the FO and we are…” 

 

“Too weak” completed Rey. Leia didn't like the adjective but she didn't correct her.

 

“To even consider this mission is already a risk. I don’t think he would ignore that such information slipped through”

 

“But, we have to do something,” pleaded Rey. 

 

“I know dear, but let me figure it out first,” she said with a smile. She placed one hand on her shoulder to reassure her. “Now, I must get on with this” and with that she dismissed her. 

  
  
  


_____________________________________________________

  
  


It was almost nightfall when Rey made her way to the courtyard to find Finn. 

 

She did feel better about telling Leia, but she couldn't avoid thinking of what Kylo would do. Her mind racing through multiple scenarios but her heart wishing for the best.

 

She made way to the courtyard aware of her past meeting with Finn.

When she finally spotted him, he was holding a pair of sticks in each hand, walking towards her. 

  
  


As he reached her, he gave her a mischievous smile, and threw one of the sticks to her.  She caught it proficiently and realized that it was a mock up saber. She gave him a puzzled look and he returned it with a smile while acquiring a combat stance; she quickly caught on and adjusted herself as well. The air tensed around them and both readied to attack.

 

Finn charged first, letting out a battle cry, his staff landing hard on rey's horizontal block, she pushed him back and retreated a little.

 

“You scared?” teased Finn with a taunting smile. Rey smiled and readied herself.

 

“Of you? I’m more scared of what I might do to you!”

 

Finn’s smile faltered and he scoffed. He readied himself too, this time it was Rey who charged at him, not with strength but with agility. 

 

It was a friendly sparring session, but both secretly trying to impress the other with their new acquired skills. Rey’s new abilities with the force made her more aware of her opponent's movements, being able to see the next one beforehand and countering it effectively each time; Finn was having some trouble with this, and countered it with the ferocity that he poured in each blow, not giving Rey a chance to find an opening. And with each blow their breaths became more ragged and their arms throbbed, Finn was not used to such intense training while Rey was sore from her own yesterday. But neither was going to back down before the other. 

 

On the other side of the courtyard, Rose was walking by, on her way to the hangars when she spotted the scene. Rey and Finn bathed in sweat in a battle of swords and apparently, ego. None of them giving ground to the other. Rey seemed to have the upper hand, but fFnn was not giving in. 

 

Rey spotted Rose form the corner of her eye and saw a chance. 

 

“Hey Finn, Rose seems to be looking for you,” said Rey between breaths, immediately Finn looked around and Rey took the opportunity to land a strike to his legs, making him topple over. “ So, what’s going on between you two?,” She questioned him from above, offering a hand to help him up.

 

His cheeks were reddened after the intense workout, but somehow they managed to get even redder after Rey’s comment. He took her hand and got up to stand next to her, waving at Rose once he was on his feet. She smiled and gave him a shy wave back. 

 

“Well, I wanted to tell you this morning, but you were busy being nowhere to be found” he berated, Rey could only offer a sheepish smile and probed further for what had transpired between them. 

“It was nice, we spoke and… I guess we’re together now. It’s a little new to me, It’s not like there’s many relationships among the troops” he mused. They walked up to Rose, and Rey could see how they became all mellow with each other, stealing glances and smiling shyly, 

 

After splitting form Rose and Finn, Rey started to feel the sting from the practice with Finn, who wasn't as skilled has her but compensated with his brute force. She could ask him to do this more often.

 

She was all sweaty and in a need of a visit to the refresher, hopefully a good clean up and sleep would ease her rattled mind.

  
  


_____________________________________________________

  
  


The warning that Leia had commissioned to be delivered to everyone had caught fire. After the First Order’s display of power, any possible threat seemed to be taken as a reality and after 3 days they were beginning to receive some of the surviving leaders of the Republic and recruits for the Resistance. 

 

Lando, was to arrive in about a week, needing to insure the situation for his people before his departure. Everyone  was excited to meet him and Rey couldn’t understand the excitement that went around the base, she was told that he fought alongside Han, Leia and Luke in the battle of Endor, which was impressive apparently; and by the time his arrival was imminent, everyone was even more anxious.

 

Upon the arrival of the small comercial cruiser Rey accompanied Leia to receive him.

 

When they spotted each other, Rey could see that his smile was similar to Leia’s: a sad smile forged by war. 

He sprang to her and held her in his arms lovingly almost afraid to break her, she buried her head in his shoulder and whispered things to each other. When they separated he held her hands. 

 

“Leia, when I heard I couldn’t… I’m sorry,” he said with defeat. She placed one hand on his shoulder.

“He was doing what he needed to do,” she said solemnly. Words that were not only to comfort him but to convince her as well. They shared a quiet moment and then gave each other a nod. Then Lando turned his attention to Rey, who had been eyeing him since his arrival, something about him seemed familiar.

 

“So, this is the mysterious young girl you mentioned. The young Jedi,” he said with an inquisitive tone, like someone stumbling upon a priced object, she felt her cheeks blush.

 

“Rey, this is Lando Calrissian, an old friend of Han and me,” she said with melancholy lingering in her voice. They shook hands and Rey gave him a curt nod, she’d never had this kind of - diplomatic encounters before.

 

They followed the path into the base, engaging in meaningless conversation before having to face reality again, Rey walking quietly behind them.

 

Many knew him as a legend that helped the rebellion against the empire, leaving behind days of gambling in favor of the greater good, Poe and Connix saluted him in a more laid back manner, like old friends. Being in the resistance long enough gave you the privilege of rubbing elbows with legends. But today, more than a legend, he was an aged man, about seventy something, with mostly white and gray hair covering his head and beard. He had a mischievous smile, that he would flash to the younger generations, aware that it gave him an even more mysterious flair. Some things never died. 

 

The time for the reunion came to be and everyone started to gather at the communications bay as pre instructed by Leia. 

 

Everyone was sitting around the small podium that was in the middle, C3PO already next it, always where he would be needed the most, or so he thought. Leia finally arrived and made way to the podium, Lando lent her a hand to get on it with more ease. 

As soon as she stood at her full height, no throat clearing was necessary to quiet the room, her sole presence made silence.

 

“Fellow comrades, this is the first time we have gathered like this since our battle in Crait. It’s been a while, but we had more pressing matters to attend to. But now, seeing you all here, it fills me with hope and determination in what we’re doing **_._ ** Over these past few months we have regrouped and increased our numbers, growing stronger each day. But the time to act is coming closer, we have let the First Order run wild for too long. We have received support from other fellow allies from the mid rim, so we’ll be receiving supplies, ships and recruits in the coming weeks.” She made a small pause, giving a chance for people to break into cheering and joyous banter. This was the best news they’d received in the last months. 

 

She lifted her hand and the room went quiet again. “It’s a breather we’ve been needing for a while now. And while we’re receiving help from everyone, it’s time that we return the favor to the galaxy. As we speak, allies of the resistance are being kept captive in the new base of the First Order, which we have all heard rumors that it’s in the Center Rim” she added, smiling faces became grimm again, laced with anger. 

Lando placed one hand on Leia's forearm, and she nodded, descending slowly and giving the spotlight to her friend.

 

“You may have heard about me, but I have heard even more about your heroics and relentless fight against the First Order. You have inspired me like no other, to become part of this movement once more, maybe not with brawn, but with all the resources I can make available to you. As of now, my people are working to find out more about the precise location of the FO, we have not discovered much, but we need to do everything in our power to free the galaxy from it’s clutches!.”

 

This time the room erupted in cheering and vitoring, everyone had regained their spirits and they now burned brighter than before.

  
  


Once the meeting was finished, everyone was dismissed to their previous tasks, but even if it was almost faint, there was a renewed sensation of purpose in the base. Hope was finally settling again among the hearts of the Resistance members. 

 

Leia had commanded Rey to stay behind, she had to signal Finn to go on without her; from the corner of her eye, she saw Poe haul him out of the room and Finn blushing. She snickered to herself, sometimes Finn not only felt, but also acted like a boy.

 

Rey’s train of thought was halted by Leia’s voice. 

 

“Lando, you must know, that it was Rey who tipped me off about the prisoners of the First Order,” she said. Lando darted his eyes from Rey to Leia, with an i knew it face.

 

“I imagined it from the from the first time you refused to give me your intel source, now I confirmed it,” he said to Leia, and then he turned to see Rey, she recoiled a little and felt like a small girl. “New’s about you travel fast. They say that you faced Kylo Ren and killed the Supreme Leader” he said, testingly. 

 

“I, I did,” she quietly said. She and Leia had agreed to tell that story in order to inflict fear in the First Order and inspire others. 

 

“And that you couldn’t bring Luke back from his exile,” he said, this time, in a much colder tone. But Rey was used to this, and simply stared back.

 

“I didn’t have to, he came back on his own,” she replied. He merely stared and gave her a curt nod and continued.

 

“Then have in mind, that the galaxy has seen the jedi rise and fall along with the dark side.” he paused and looked over at Leia with melancholy. “Maybe this time it’s not about winning. Maybe we have to do something differently…” he mused.

 

“Our generation is only giving you a boost, but you are our last hope” and with that, he nodded goodbye and left the room quietly.

  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry about the late update! We got a really heavy proyect and it's due in a week, so it's been super crazy! What do you think? Things are moving and everyone has to take a stand, what will happen?? Tune in next week for more updates :) (Hopefully!)


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rey wanders around Dantooine and finds Force related things.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Long chapter ahead! There's a lot of things we have planned for later chapters so I got to pay extra attention in order to not miss anything, and that means that a lot of things happen each episode now! Enjoy!

Lando’s words had struck Rey at her very core.

 

She played them in her mind over and over and over, unable to rid herself of the weight that they carried. How could she, a former scavenger, a barely recent addition to the Resistance,  be the last hope of the galaxy?

 

She couldn’t help feeling lost, with no one to guide her path. She was only doing what she thought she should do to save her new found family, even if it meant going against evil incarnate.  


Even if she was feeling the weight of the galaxy riding on her shoulders, spirits around the base were up, with Lando’s presence and the arrival of more manpower, the spark of hope was really catching up now. And despite the difficulties that they were having to find the location of the First Order, they’d received tips and some information about the movements of their ships, it seemed they were all conglomerating around the Inner Rim and they were hopeful that they would quickly narrow down their location..

 

The next two weeks, part of the Resistance was focusing their labor on helping out the adjacent villages around, humanoid natives that lived off the land and small commerce, who had thankfully been left out of this current conflict. They were curious to hear the stories about their ongoing war with that omnipresent enemy they had heard so much about, trying to put together the stories that other merchants brought with the ones of the Resistance. Fascinated by the near escape stories of some of the pilots. Finn also took a liking to a small group of kids who marveled at his stories about Rey and his escape from the enemy troops.

 

And it wasn’t only rumors of the First Order that they were hearing, Rey had taken some time to speak attentively to some of the older natives, and the ones that did speak basic, told her about some ruins that were far off from the base. They spoke about them with eerie mystery, and would prefer to tell such stories at night around a campfire, adding even more mysticism to the tales. Many of them were about ghosts and shimmering lights coming from inside them, how these apparitions would stare into nothing as if waiting for someone to accompany them, (the elders said they were souls bound to the land by grief), about how the air shifted and you could sense something around these buildings, almost as if they were alive. But far from being afraid, Rey would sit with the children and listen, almost taking note, while they hid behind her; many of their descriptions matched to what Rey felt in some areas of Dantooine.

 

Exploring the planet, Rey discovered that there was an energy emanating from it, strong and resembling the Force. She didn't know what it was exactly but it made her curious and restless. Did it mean there possibly were other Jedi here? One thing was for certain: the Force was strong in this planet.

 

At this point she had almost completed the pieces necessary for her saber, the notes Luke had left behind had been a blessing (along with some fella named Kenobi). What she was mostly worried about was finding a crystal that would help her channel the energy from the power cell to create the blade. Upon hearing the stories of the ancient buildings, her heart leapt in hopes that maybe she would find something in their innards. The books contained information about all the possible gems for the making of the saber, but none had any information about where exactly they could be found; but they weren't exactly meant to be maps of the galaxy, she had thought.  What a better chance than to find them right where she was.

It had taken Rey weeks to learn how to correctly read the technical schematics for the building of the saber, as if that had been a test by itself. It not only spoke about how to build it, but it included how the colors of each saber defined the Jedi who wielded it, how red had become a color of anger, signature of the Sith. Blue for serenity, for the Jedi of course; but those were not the only ones, the spectrum varied on how the wielder was balanced: apparently there were stories of Sith who had yellow and orange sabers, and Jedi who had purple and green ones (like Luke’s).

 

She kept the broken Kyber crystal from Luke’s lightsaber that (unbeknownst to her), once belonged to his late master and previously, to his own father. It wasn’t chance that Kylo Ren tried to claim it as rightfully his.

With a little motivation from Finn and Leia, she finally made up her mind and decided to prepare for a small expedition to explore in search for the temples from the stories.

 

She had prepared for a long trip, saying goodbyes to everyone, she fixed a small lunch and went on to train to her usual place, taking along her notes and a satchel with a blanket, some more provisions and the pieces for her saber: only the necessary. From there she would try to prepare a route using the notes form the villagers’ tips, she was ready to be gone for a week if everything went well.

 

Trekking along the plains of this planet was much easier than threading through the Jakku dunes, this meant that by the time it was noon she had walked almost the double of what she would normally do. She could easily get used to it.

 Rey took pride in her physical condition and resilience, something that could determine life or death in Jakku, and at the sundown of the third day of exploring and following leads, she arrived. She stumbled upon the old ruins.

 

The building was something to be marveled at, even if it was coming apart by the wear of time and the environment. It stood tall among the mountains that surrounded it,  hidden from passerby's by the thick trees, which curiously only became thicker the closer she came to the ruins. The walls were made of beautiful brown and pink stone, but mostly had taken a dark brownish tone by now, some parts remained pristine but others seemed to crumble down, barely holding on, like a sandcastle. She settled for the night inside it, the weather was a bit chilly at night, so a fire was more than needed.

 

The relaxing sensation of sleep didn't last much as she immediately felt her body engage in a fight or flight mode, her senses to the maximum, her heart beating like crazy and then she saw it.

 

The red room.

 

The dream played in her mind again, but this time as she was going to strike Kylo down once more, his eyes locked on hers, pleading almost as if he was about to cry, it tore her heart but her body moved on its own as always, and struck him down.

She was gasping again, covered in cold sweat, trying to sit up and familiarize with her surroundings. She brought her knees to her chest and waited for her breathing to even out, but her mind was still at large, the image of Kylo’s eyes burning into her remained. She began meditating to clear her mind, to relax.

 

When Rey looked up, the moon was already settling atop the lit sky, and the light was filtering through the holes in the temple, giving the place an eerie feeling and shine, she could see how this place had earned its reputation. And it was that shine that caught her attention, she took a stick form the fire and walked over to investigate. The place already felt like she was swimming in the Force, almost drowning in it, but as she approached the mysterious sparkles, the feeling became more intense, like tiny needles on her skin, slowly prickling into her being.

 

With the torch leading her way, the warm light indicated her that there was something on the walls, but she could not make a shape of it. Suddenly, as if by magic, the moonlight flooded the room and a thousand little lights shone. A complete room tunneling into the mountain was packed with crystals of all sizes, even the ceiling was full of them, like they had run out of places to grow. It was perplexing, and then she felt it.

That place was brimming with the Force.

 

Rey began walking, as if something was guiding her towards the source with a tantalizing song. She walked past the high columns of the temple in awe that such a structure looked so mighty still. Another thing she noticed was that the place was full of small critters running from her, she could hear the skitter skatter of many; that did give her a chill. As she delved deeper into the temple the sensation grew too, the walls of the temple looked more affected by time as she got closer. The source of this was a large cave behind the walls of the ruins, which was awash with crystals, the legendary kyber crystals, the very core of the lightsabers. The sheer beauty of the gem covered wall almost made her tear

 

Having made such discovery (and after that nightmare), she wouldn't let herself go to sleep now, so she rushed out to go for her things and head back. She wasn't really sure on how to pick one or how to even get it out, but if Luke had taught her anything, it was to focus and center herself; maybe it would do the trick again.

 

She opted to sit in front of the massive wall of crystals, making herself comfortable, she began focusing her energy and to reach out, after a few minutes she could feel everything around her: the wind, the plants, the rocks, life and the energy emanating from it, especially from the wall in front of her that was almost breathing life, like a little voice calling. She focused on a specific signature of energy, pulling her to it. And she obeyed, reaching to it like a moth to a light. Hypnotized by it, she touched it and the feeling of familiarity flooded her, this is it she thought. And part of her was relieved to know that there was actually something meant for her, that it wasn’t luck, this was destiny.

 

The crystal was cold against the palm of her hand, but a strange warmth emanated from it, she sat and observed it for a little before placing it in front of her. It was small and unpolished but it shone with the moonlight.

 

Just as the books told and instructed, she decided that this was the place to meditate with the crystal and infuse it with her own Force energy. According to the text this was a way to prepare the crystal to become even more attuned to her, honing it into a powerful weapon for its master.

She went back to meditating but this time she was focusing on the Kyber crystal, letting her energy flood it. She didn't exactly understand what it meant to infuse her escence into the it, but she let herself feel everything that made her who she was, hoping that would be enough.

 

She didn’t know when to stop, but before she knew it, she had fallen into a deep slumber.

  


The morning sun on her face was more than enough to make her stir and woke her up slowly. She stretched painfully after a night on the hard floor; everything was sore.

As she took in everything around her, she realized that she must’ve fallen asleep while deep into meditation once again, how embarrassing she thought (little did she know that the same thing happened to Yoda more than often).

 

After three days straight of meditation with the crystal, she felt that it was more than enough to start the preparations to assemble the saber. She took the crystal and marveled at it, wondering how it would look once it was functional, and just as that thought went by, she reached for her satchel and took out the dismantled pieces of Luke’s saber to reassemble it into her own.  

 

Hours went by slowly and the sun was almost setting again when her job was done. It took her various tries to light it up and  every time she had gone back to work frustration had built up inside her, along with the sensation of failure. Her brow was furrowed, her arms, back and legs were sore but the lightsaber had to be done. She took pride in her proficiency and it had already taken all day; she was exhausted, but  also anxious to give it a test run… Would it work this time?

 

She pushed both buttons at the same time and it worked. Two lights ignited and hummed quietly as she relished at her work. She didn't know if it was something that had been done before, but it was what felt more comfortable to her: a mix between her staff and a dual sabre. It felt right to her. But that wasn't the only wonderful thing about it. The color. It was… wonderful.

 

She began to spar by herself, familiarizing with the weight of her saber staff, she began using only one blade at first and after a couple of hours she felt confident to train using both ends. No weapon had felt like this one, almost as if she was using another arm, She was starting to break a sweat, her breathing becoming more ragged, she could only hear her own echoes but then slowly and faintly began to hear others alongside her… and then she was startled by a strong command.

 

“GO! Leave! We’re finished today”, came a loud voice.

 

She turned around and stumbled back in surprise just in time to switch it off as she fell to the ground awkwardly, she lifted her face to see him panting and sweating with a panicked look in his face. She was in that same state, but as she noticed his body, her face got even hotter. He was wearing but a sleeveless gray shirt and black loose trousers. His muscles glistened because of the sweat and his breathing was uneven, his hair was all messy. As she finished scanning him, heat rose to her cheeks, the image of him flustering her further and she found him doing the same. When she met his eyes, the memory of the dream flashed through her mind and she looked away.

 

“Yellow?” Kylo’s voice now sounded amused, almost excited. She immediately fumbled with the staff to hide it.

 

“What is it to you? Just ignore me until this goes away”  she knew how childish she sounded, but how else would she feel? She looked up at him as she slowly got up and gained her composure, fastening the saber at her back.

 

He merely stared back with curiosity for a few seconds “You know we can’t control this, we need to…” but he quickly went back to the topic at hand “Just show it to me, I already know what you’re hiding”

 

“What are you talking about?” she tried to sound naive, but both knew that it was far beyond the best choice.

 

“Rey, ple-” he almost said, but his features hardened and his brow furrowed, he looked down for a little and looked up with a different face, more stern and calm “Show it to me, there’s no point in hiding it, you know it”, he repeated.

 

She balled her hand into a fist and doubted for a few seconds before admitting that he was right: whether in battle or again by chance, he would eventually see it anyways. She pulled the staff from behind and held it out for him to see; he let his gaze examine the workmanship of the staff with wonder, she pushed the buttons again and the room shone yellow.

His eyes expressed something she could not clearly make out, amazement? excitement? He inched to examine it closer, his hand going a bit down closer to the staff but too close to her hands, she retracted instinctively and he noticed, pulling his own hand back slowly, he continued.

 

“Congratulations, now you can call yourself a Jedi Knight” he said and she smiled shyly, but it faltered when she registered the word “Knight”. Wasn’t she now a Jedi? What did it mean to be a Jedi Knight? Her face gave her away, because he answered “You have advanced in your training but a Jedi title is not obtained in a few months” he said slowly

 

“But… I thought that, with this I completed my training…” she said, her disappointment evident. A feeling of uselessness blooming. He quickly caught the shift in her emotions and inched closer not taking his eyes away from her, his intense gaze making her feel bare and vulnerable.

 

“You could’ve been greater under my tutelage” he said, almost sadly, his tone even and low. She looked away unsure of what to say, her heart beating faster under the pressure of his words.

 

And then, like turning off a comm, he was gone once more.

  


Immediately her instinct kicked in and she ran to pick up her things and darted for the exit of the temple. She didn’t understand what had just transpired but she wasn't about to stay and find out. After at least 10 minutes of running, her aching legs forced her to stop and finally sat under a heavy tree, panting her heart out while regaining her strength and composure and giving turn for her mind to run wild with questions without answers: What had just happened?

 

Her heart began to beat as fast as when she began to run and dread and confusion started to cloud her mind. But then she remember his confusion too… Maybe it didn't need to mean something, maybe it was only an isolated event… Maybe, maybe…

 

As she relaxed, she decided that the best thing was to inform Leia, maybe she would know what to do. She continued her path and the air began to feel thick like in the temple, her skin prickled under the sensation of a familiar presence. She gasped and turned around to see.

 

“Luke!?” she yelled, and looking back at her were the characteristic weary blue eyes of her late master, he seemed younger and less troubled.

She scanned him in silence and her eyes went wide as she remembered to speak "but you.. you DIED, I-I- I felt you, I felt you disappear!”, she babbled as a sudden rush of fear crept…

 

“I know Rey, I did. My physical body is gone but instead of just disappearing, I became part of the Force, letting my escence roam freely.” he said and even if Rey’s reason couldn't understand, the Force told her differently. “But enough of that” he said with a dismissive hand gesture “I can see you have continued your training” he said now eyeing the saberstaff.

 

“It hasn’t been easy on my own” she said looking proudly at her staff, “but I’ve managed with what you and B-” she stopped as soon as she realized what she was confessing. Luke’s face stiffened but did not show anger, he continued on.

 

“I see that your connection with Ben hasn't been severed…” he said with a hint of disappointment, Rey grimaced.

 

“I don’t think it’s possible, Snoke claimed once that he bridged our minds but…you know what happened.” She said almost resigned, she paused for a little and went on “I think it could be useful to the Resistance, I could…” she began, but Luke interrupted.

 

“Ben may be reckless Rey, but not stupid. He will find a way to take advantage of this. It’s too dangerous, this connection you have…” he said sounding weary now. Rey remained silent, thinking of what to say next… she opted to find answers.

 

“Is it possible to control it or...What would happen if we broke it?” she tried, Luke’s gaze rose to meet hers immediately.

 

_______________________________

 

Things back at the base were as usual, people were busy enough to keep their minds off of Rey’s absence. It was late afternoon and Finn was barely making it back to the base, apparently his own absence had gone unnoticed too, except by one person.

 

“Whatcha doing lovebird” came a voice from behind. Finn flinched at the sudden noise and turned around abruptly, knocking down some things, making his entrance even louder. He scrambles to pick things up and shot up in an instant to face the person in front of him.

 

“Easy loverboy, I didn’t mean to scare you like that” said Poe, flashing him his trademark grin, taking the things off of Finn’s arms.

 

“You can’t go around sneaking up like that” said Finn, annoyed and relieved that it was his friend and not someone else.

 

In a more serious tone, Poe asked about his afternoon, Finn had asked for some advice earlier about…romantic getaways and picnics, Poe was surprised himself but helped nevertheless. Finn smiled widely and looked at him sheepishly.

“It went great” he said with a shy tone, but happy. And it’s not only his tone that confirms it, his clothes were disheveled, his lips swollen.

 

Poe smiled back and answered with some irony in his voice “Course it was” and he laughed. Finn blushed even more, suddenly self aware, but Poe patted his back and comforted him “Calm down buddy, I was teasing you!” he said jokingly, Finn laughed nervously and smiled too, apparently very happy after what had happened with Rose. Shortly, they bid farewells and Finn left to his room.

 

Poe stared at him until he had disappeared in the shadows of the hallway, and he finally let go of his grin. He passed his fingers through his hair and sighed loudly, he turned around to the wall and rested his forehead on it, now with a sad smile on his face.

 

And he quietly said to himself while trying not to choke “ What’s going on with you, Poe”.

  


 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm very much sorry for the long wait! It was not supposed to be this way but work and responsabilities find their way to disrupt my carefully planned schedule (totally not planned, literally way over her head). But things have calmed down a lot more and I0ve already begun working on chapter seven :). I hope you enjoyed!  
> What will happen next?!! Tune in next week for another update!
> 
> Also, we used this reference for the colors of the lightsabers: http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Lightsaber_crystal


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In this one we read a lot about Kylo, his pals, some political issues and his bestest of pals, Hux.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Your wait has finished (for now), this week I had more time to write but I still had to tweak this chapter a lot, we've made some changes to the plot in the way and I needed to double check that everything was fine. If you find inconsistencies, please tell me! You can find me at my tumblr: https://www.tumblr.com/blog/mrsmancuspia and ask any question or comment :). Now... Enjoy!!

If Kylo’s temper had been foul, this time it was actually worse.

  


Kylo stood quietly staring into the now empty space where she had been in front of him. Her saberstaff was amazing and if he lied, not even himself would believe it. Flustered he angrily hit the wall beside him, he felt the rage beginning to grow… It wasn't her growth what angered him, but his lack of response to her.

 

He wanted to fight her, to belittle her for her poor decision at the Supremacy, for the humiliation that she put him through, but every time they spoke all he had done was let her question him and look weak, he wanted to pour all of his hatred to her, to make her feel small and weak. But every time he felt that, the pit of his stomach flared again and again, which angered him further, feeling like a child unable to control his own emotions.

 

He couldn't deny that his last connection with Rey had dug a deep hole in his chest, one that he couldn't really understand, he dismissed it as his pride. But the fact that, he, the Supreme Leader, was leaking information was even worse, he realized the kind of information that she had heard could put at risk the standing of the First Order

 

He couldn't understand what it was but it made him feel… odd. She wasn’t precisely the reason, how he lost control around her was what worried him. Four months had already passed and he, just now, almost begged her again. Hadn’t he learnt anything? Didn’t he swear that he would destroy her? And yet, in every connection they had shared, he couldn’t muster that killing intent. Just like that brief moment in Crait, where he only stared back at her while she cut the connection.

 

He roared with rage and slammed his fist against the closest wall yet again, this time a loud bang filled the room. Pain. That, he understood.

 

His breathing pronounced, his shoulders rising with each intake of air, he closed his eyes and began to control it, the pain in his hand distracting him of anything else. Diverting him from her.

 

Kylo opened his eyes, with new resolve. He wouldn’t let this connection hinder what he had worked for. He would regain control one way or the other and next time, he would gain the upper hand.

 

He made way to his chambers, he would change and then head to the library rooms in the palace. In other times they would’ve contained the most sacred of the jedi texts, but they had long been destroyed, and now there was only information pertaining the sith. He was about to take the elevator when a dark armored figure came out to his way, wearing a black helmet with chrome lines, but this one had bigger eyes, void of humanity, it was more rugged, damaged by combat. It was Maro, of the knights of Ren.

 

“Master, we must talk about what happened” came his voice, distorted by the mask.

 

“What is it?” he said, trying to control his frustration.

 

He paused for a second, probably thinking what he was about to say. “I- I couldn't help but feel something… Someone... when we left you. I don’t know if the others felt it too but… it hadn’t happened again after… Snoke”, he said, his mechanical voice giving a menacing tone to his question.

 

Kylo looked inquisitively at the mask “Take it off”, he commanded. The void eyes of the mask stared back for a few seconds, before placing both of his hands at the base and unfastening it. There was a low hiss and the face of a miralian came out. His purple eyes tinged in red stared back, his expression solemn. He quietly stared and insisted. “There was a disturbance in the Force. What was it?” he said, his voice more gentle that with the mask. Kylo considered his answer.

“What would you do Maro? If you knew what it was? Desert? Betray me?” he demanded, with inquisitive intent, the last word rolled off with threat. Maro stared back with the same intensity, trying to understand his leader.

 

“Is it so questionable Kylo?” he retorted using his names to level the discussion, his eyes stern, his voice calm. Kylo knew best than to lie to Maro, but right now, even he couldn’t foresee the consequences of divulging the nature of the Force bond.

 

“Leave it be Maro. You will know when it’s due” he said, Maro’s face softened almost imperceptibly and nodded, “I will wait, but don’t deem it settled” he said, placing his helmet back and leaving Kylo alone to wait for the elevator.

  


On his way to the library, his mind was a mess. He couldn’t be around the Knights so easily, if the bond sparked open again in their presence it wouldn't be an easy task to ward them off again. Hux was being as insufferable as always, constantly trying to do things under his nose. And there were the nightmares, which were haunting him now so often that he would sometimes focus on other things inside the dream trying to understand it, to no avail. This situation was slowly spiraling out of control and he was afraid that it would snowball eventually.

 

But then again, there was another interruption, before he could make it to the library, capitan Morlose intercepted him with news about the damaged holovid, apparently it had taken them huge efforts to fix it between the damage and the encryption the vid was under. His curiosity burned harder for the holovid than the bond and followed him back to the communications bay. They arrived and they led him to the small private officer he’d been before. He requested everyone to leave, he preferred to watch it in private.

 

_“Apprentice, the one I told you about is now ready to meet you. To do so, you must travel to the furthest part of the galaxy, to a planet in the Outer Rim called Jakku. He has been helping me gain power and I believe that it will take the Sith and the empire to a new era.  With this, absolute power will be within our grasp” said the unmistakable voice of Darth Sidious, who sounded eager._

 

_“I will carry on the mission soon master, but I fear this is a critical moment to leave as I sense Skywalker is about to turn, it’d be unwise to leave now”_

 

_“So be it”_

 

The transmission cut off and the room was left in silence. Kylo couldn’t react upon the discovery, his mind working as fast as it could, trying to understand the implications of all of this. The conversation implied too much and revealed too little, as soon as he found a chance, he needed to pay Jakku a visit again.

  


__________________

  


Hux’s attempts at finding the Resistance had been all futile as days went by, without the full consent of Kylo, he wasn’t able to lead a full fledged search and had to settle with small time search parties, disguising them as missions of diplomacy to other planets.

Today he was meant to have a meeting with Kylo, to discuss the advances in negotiations with Belnar, which were more on the line of _aggressive_ negotiations. Today, he would try to persuade him once more.

 

Kylo arrived after few minutes accompanied by two of his knights and met him in the rooms adjacent to the communications bay, along with somo generals controlling the area around Belnar by the Castell System. They sat and the others immediately began discussing the important points of the meeting.

 

“This is only a step to a whole plan, we can just ignore all use for diplomacy, they will yield by the mere sight of out troops” came the loud voice of an old general.

 

“With all due respect, we mustn’t be seen as an immediate threat, our late Supreme Leader was careful not to do so” came a much gentler voice, younger too.

 

“But what is the point now? We’ve already shown the galaxy our power, secrecy is as necessary as these meetings now” came another angry voice.

 

Hux was listening attentively at the generals, agreeing with the ones that were more interested in outing the Resistance and destroying it as a show of power, in order to make the takeover of planets easier and faster. However, from the corner of his eye, he could see that Kylo wasn’t looking very pleased, silently listening to their ongoing rut. But finally someone called him

 

“What is your take on all this, Supreme Leader?” said the general with the gentle voice.

 

Kylo watched them, analyzing the room (he was probably making himself look menacing) he stood up, his 7 feet of height making him even more menacing. He scoffed to himself, power was not about size but about presence.

 

Kylo began “Our late Supreme Leader’s tactics are something that we can no longer abide by anymore, we have been exposed along with our intentions of unifying the galaxy under a single rule” said Kylo in an adamant tone. He couldn’t help to let out a small grin, Kylo was finally coming to his senses. He continued “But to take planets by force will only weaken our forces; gaining control quickly but with the constant risk of uprisings against us, demanding unnecessary resources. We must avoid bloodshed and we will gain their favor, not only by fear but by loyalty” he finished.

 

The generals began to mutter amongst themselves, many of them agreeing with amusement in their faces, they obviously were not expecting such eloquence from the Supreme Leader (He had indeed spoken too little these past months), others seemed displeased with the decision but agreed anyways. Yet, only Hux could see that this wasn’t a display of leadership, this was weakness, the fleeting sensation he had that Kylo might have hopes as a Supreme Leader was gone, and now he was more than convinced that the First Order needed a real leader.

 

Kylo dismissed the meeting and everyone left, except himself, Kylo and the knights.

 

“Speak out before I make you” came his voice, a threat laced with indifference.

He knew that sometimes it was futile to hide things from Force users, but it was precisely that arrogance that made them predictable. To hide lies within lies was a delicate art.

 

“Supreme Leader, with all due respect” he said, but as always, it came with a dash of sarcasm, both knew. “I don’t think such and approach would be the best. After what happened in Crait we cannot allow our reputation to fall even more” he said, every word carefully thought out. And they did what was intended, Kylo turned to see his way, his eyes wary.

 

“So you can boast on a victory over a puny rebel cell?” he said, almost with a tired tone. Much to his chagrin, he did not expect this.

 

“It’s only puny because we crippled them but if we allow it, they will come-” but he couldn't finish. His mouth had been immobilized.

 

“No Hux, you have to understand your place in all of this!. You think you can do as you wish just because you feel closer to power? You think I don't realize what you do? You only work behind my back because I allow it!” Kylo's tone had become menacing, his teeth bared. He finally let him go and Hux spat all he had to say.

 

“You believe you can do this, but you were merely a puppet then and you are still one now!” he yelled, “You think you can fool everyone, but I will expose you!”

 

“Who said I was the only puppet?” retorted Kylo immediately. “Just because you were given freedom doesn't mean you were the favoured child, you were and ARE merely a tool in all of this” said Kylo almost seething. He was about to retort but one of the Knights got in front of him and motioned him back.

 

Kylo then signaled one of the Knights to take him away, Hux gave him one last nasty look before leaving. Things would fall into place little by little, patience would be his redemption.

 

__________________

  


Hux left like a mad dog about to go in a frenzy, but both knew he wouldn't, he was far too controlled to do that. The Knights came back and were about to assume their positions when he called them “Maro, Arnar, call Kayukk and Dalmar to the prison cells. Tell Bjartur and Takkik to wait at their stations, we have a pending visit” he said ominously. He was much more at ease with them around rather than with the stormtroopers (even with Maro asking questions).  

 

Kylo was making his way to the low security tower where the prisoners were, along with two troopers at his sides, and behind them were four of his knights dragging the three prisoners.

Upon arrival, he ordered his men to release them and they were thrown in front of him. They bore the scars of torture, but their eyes were relentless. Kylo knew that using traditional methods wouldn't work on them anymore. One of them tried to stand, but he pushed him back to the floor with a single pull from the Force.

 

“You have been brought here for one sole purpose, if you fail to fulfill it there will be no mercy”. One stared in silence, defying him, the other seemed to be considering their position; they had the Jedi killer in front of them after all. He continued, and asked softly “I will ask once, and only once: Where is the Resistance base?”

There was a long silence and then one of them answered.

 

“Only one person can give you that information” said the man on the floor. Kylo looked down at him and began peering into his mind, the man opened his eyes wide at the intrusion.

 

“And who would that be?” he asked, he wanted to see where this would take him. The man opened his mouth but did not answer, instead he let him roam his mind. In a flash, the face of an aged woman came through everything, her hair was gray and her silhouette looked fragile, but her face seemed to show the iron will of a warrior. Leia Organa was that woman.

 

As  if burned with a hot rod, he snapped away from the man and stumbled. Angered yet again, he regained his footing instantly, but all of his composure was now lost.

 

He peered into his mind again, this time ripping apart what he saw. The man screamed with agonizing pain and with a strong surge of the force he sent the man flying into a wall when he found nothing useful. The prisoner hit the wall and fell like a ragdoll. He was most probably dead.

 

“And you!”  he turned around like a wild animal to the others “You will give me the Resistance!!”

 

“The resistance will not disappear, not while hope remains”  one of the men said sternly , the resilience in his eyes bore into Kylo’s. He would not yield.

 

“Fine, so be it” he lifted his hand and the man began screaming, writhing at an invisible pain but Kylo again found nothing, only dead ends. Frustrated his hand went to the hilt of the saber at his belt, the heaviness of it gave him an adrenaline rush, necessary before completing a kill. He centered himself and focused on his rage. He let out a sigh and placed the hilt back onto his belt. In a moment of clarity he decided that baring himself as a murderer couldn't be the best for the First Order.  He turned around and nodded to one of his knights, Arnar Ren. The knight came forward, unlatching his own heavy saber from his belt.

 

His footfalls resounding within the wide space, he ignited his lightsaber, the red hue illuminating the room, he readied his weapon placing it next to the prisoner’s head, his eyes defying him. Arnar began lifting his saber, making it even more ominous. But just then the Force around Kylo began to prickle, his eyes began looking for her and his mind quickly began to plot.

 

And then, there she was, looking down onto something, but her head shot up as she became aware of the open bond. Her initial surprise quickly transformed with horror.

 

“Ben… what is… happening…?” she said with a quiet voice, he flinched at her comment, did that mean the bond was becoming more powerful?, what could she see?

 

“Ben, no, stop it. Ben, please, make it stop!!” she was pleading now, her voice breaking. He ignored her and took note of the change, apparently she could see more than necessary.

 

THUNK. With a swift movement the only sound that was heard was when the head of the man hit the ground. The body feel like a brick to the floor.

 

“NOOOOOOOOOOOO!!” this time, Kylo flinched, her shriek startled him and he became nervous with the presence of his knights. Dalmar and Kayukk looked around frantically, making evident that they had heard Rey, but not wholly. Only Maro was looking at him, the hollow eyes of his mask burning through him. Could he see her too? He tried to ignore her presence, but he could see from the corner of his eye that she was crying through gritted teeth, heaving and her fists red with strain.

 

“I should’ve killed you when I could ” she muttered. Her eyes fixated on him, almost like trying to kill him that way. It made his stomach flip, so he looked away, he couldn’t be distracted by that now. He focused and chose his words carefully, then turning around to Arnar and Maro.

 

“Leave me here and take the remaining prisoners to the furthest cells in the palace, I have pendings regarding the Empire’s reconstruction” he spoke quietly but enough for her to hear. All of them obeyed but Maro, who gave him one last look, questioning him. He eyed him and  gave a curt nod solely to Maro, who desisted, acknowledging the instruction. He would need to speak to him later.

 

They quickly left, escorting the conscious prisoner and dragging along the unconscious one. And if Kylo had let his attention linger for just another second, he would’ve seen one of the stormtroopers look back and linger there, quietly questioning his actions before following the others.

 

When he switched his attention back to Rey, she was solely focusing on him, and without warning she lunged at him with all of her might, she lifted her lightsaber midway through her attack, ready to slash him and he mimicked her actions as a reflex  in an attempt to receive her full attack with his own weapon. Impact was imminent and…

 

“No!” Rey screamed in anger as she skidded on the floor, she had merely ran through him, leaving no trace of injury.

 

“You really thought it would work?” a question that was partially meant for himself too. Relief rolling off his voice, but his eyes seemed hurt. She knelt on the floor and turned off her lightsaber, waves of anger rolling of her.

 

“How could you? How could you allow him to kill that man?? Why Ben?” she demanded, her face red with anger and tears.

 

“What’s it to you the death of a stranger?” he asked. She gave him a puzzled look, she stood up, aiding herself with her saberstaff.

 

“Wasn’t I a stranger just a few months ago? What am I to you?” she shot back. His lips quivered in anger when he pressed them together.

 

“You’re my equal, you aren’t similar to that man. He was no one” he said, her eyes widened with bewilderment. But he realized his mistake too late.

 

“I am NO ONE!” she yelled!, the Force disrupted by her outburst. “It was only a nice speech to get me on your side? You mon-” but she stopped. Rey knew  better, she had decided to wait and listen to the Force. It was not the moment...but.

 

He opened his mouth to speak but looked away. He wanted to make it right yet the contradiction of his actions muted him; either with intent or not, the damage was already done. She looked away too.

They remained in silence, in hope that the bond would eventually dissipate but as always, it was unpredictable.

 

She lifted her gaze and their eyes met again, locked in a battle of unanswered questions. And it took him by surprise, just like with his father, when with a few steps she closed the distance between them and then reached to touch his face, his breath hitched and his heart skipped a beat, what was she doing?

 

Her left hand rested a few inches away from his face, he could feel her warmth, the almond brown of her eyes, and long dark lashes, his heart racing with adrenaline. Unsure of what was she planning he merely held his position, not daring to even blink and neither did she, not even when her right fist landed on the side of his left eye. A loud smack echoed and he stumbled back in surprise, mustering the Force to regain balance; he hunched looking down, scoffing at how incredulous he’d been again. But it hadn't been only the blow he felt; along with the pain came a rush of her emotions: anger, frustration, fear and a glimpse of her dreams and… nightmares.  

 

She gave him a dark look, while holding her right hand.

 

“You’ve been having the same dream, in the red room” he blurted, the nature of his revelation immediately changed the mood, her face contorted in confusion and then in realization.

 

“How is it possible?” she said with bewilderment, knowing no answer would come. He only had one question though.

 

“Do you really hate me?” this time he really wanted to hear an answer, deep within it pained him that she did, but he couldn’t understand why. She didn't answer and he moved forward, closing again the distance between them, she didn't move back.

 

“I don’t” she muttered almost inaudibly. He stopped when they were close enough for her to punch him again, but he didn’t see anger in her eyes, nor anything that would give out any lie. He only saw sadness and sorrow. This time it was him who attempted to make contact. “Don’t” she stepped away and she vanished.

 

Alone again, he pressed his lips together, trying to get his breathing to even out. He now had more questions than earlier in the day. So much happened again that he almost forgot about the words he’d planted. He examined the cell, only to find the dead gaze of the man's head, he stared back in silence and left.

  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, whatchu think? The chapters have gotten longer and longer, so I see no point in giving a warning about it. Little by little Kyle is beginning to wonder about those annoying things called feelings... Stay tuned to see if he's able to sort them out :)  
> comment and share ;)


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Here we see Rey playing quidditch, (high give if you got it!), Leia being badass, Lando getting more gray hais and a worried Poe. Oh, and angsty Kylo too.  
> *** Edit***  
> Changed the name oddy muva for c'ai Threnalli, made a mistake naming a character. Sorry!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Keeping up with the story has been crazy. My plan to update every Friday bombed olypically, but updates will be as regular as possible, fingers crossed.
> 
> This chapter is way longer than the other ones, but it's because we have so much to plan and plot and so little space! We're trying to keep to the 30 chapters rule but if things become too much... we'll make longer chapters? I don't Know!. 
> 
> So far we've kept to our promise of a slow burn, If you've made it this far, congratulations you'll be rewarded in about four more chapter (maybe even 3!) So please keep tunning in :)

Speaking with Luke hadn’t answered all of Rey’s questions, but had given her more insight into the nature of what Ben and her shared.

 

 

> “Is it possible to control it or...What would happen if we broke it? Can it be broken?” Rey inquired, wary of Luke’s reaction.
> 
>  
> 
> Luke in exchange gave her a long tired look, then looked sideways down, as if looking for the information in his head.
> 
> “A bond… is born when two people share a strong connection to each other and to the Force, the stronger the connection to it, the stronger the bond will be”. He paused to sit and looked at her “It can happen between padawans and their masters, between siblings. Yes, Leia and I shared one” said Luke, answering Rey’s quiet realization. “And I have heard it can even happen between enemies...or lovers” let on Luke, the last part said carefully. Rey frowned upon hearing the word lovers, what did that have to do with anything?
> 
> Luke continued.
> 
>  
> 
> “The bond, like the Force, can become as fundamental as breathing but it will only grow as the relationship strengthens.”
> 
>  
> 
> Rey was about to interrupt, but Luke held out his hand to stop her.
> 
> “Remember that hate is also a strong emotion. The stronger it is, the stronger the connection can become thus, increasing the power of one over the other. But even the most twisted beings would never resort to breaking a bond… Breaking it... would leave them both… at most, empty” said Luke, he sighed and stood up.
> 
>  
> 
> “Be careful with this connection you share, I doubt that it’s growth can be stumped, you are both strong with the Force. But hear me Rey, under no circumstance, should you attempt to break it. Hinder it if you may, but the bond must remain”
> 
>  

______ . ______

  


So when the connection with Kylo closed, Rey was left mute, trying to understand what just had happened unaware that she’d been trembling, her knees weak, unable to react. She had been in the Millenium Falcon checking the system stats on her datapad when voices began to fill the room, she knew what it meant... and then Kylo appeared just over 2 meters away from her but the blurry silhouettes in front of him threw her off, she could barely make them out. She didn’t know what to make of them initially but then Luke’s conversation came rushing back. _The bond is getting stronger_ , she thought, she was now bent into a ball, hugging her knees, struggling to focus. But she couldn't do this now, she had to compose herself and go to Leia, something grand had just happened and if they really wanted to gain the upper hand, they had to act now.

 

Driven by her will and sense of duty, she stood up and calmed herself,  took a few breaths and reckoned that she was ready to look for Leia. She wasn't sure if what she had seen would be of any value, but she had to try.

 

She made way out of her room to find Leia, she thought that maybe Poe would know her whereabouts since they had been working very closely lately, time was essential so she broke into a sprint that was cut short when C-3PO got in her way, she tried to stop but crashed anyways.

 

“3-PO! Sorry, I’m in a hurry” she didn't know if tripping on a robot required apologizing but she did so anyways.

 

“Oh Lady Rey! Worry not please, I am quite used to people crashing with me in a hurry, aren't I R2” said the robot cheerfully. R2 replied with a series of beeps and boops. “Oh shush you insolent robot!”

 

“Yes, I…” she began and her brain lit up “3-PO, have you seen General Organa?”  she might not have to look for Poe after all.

 

“Ah Yes! She told me she would retire for the evening, apparently she was very tired. I think you can wait until tomorrow” 3-PO said in a dismissive way.

 

“It’s urgent 3-PO, I can’t wait. But thank you!”  and just like she arrived, she left.

 

“Lady Rey seemed upset did she not R2? she hasn't been quite herself lately if I may say” R2 beeped and booped again.“What? Of course not! There is no time for romance in this place!” he quipped.

 

Rey didn't hear the last thing the robots said, but she dismissed it and continued her way to Leia’s room. And a few lefts and rights later, she found her room. She paused a little before the door, and just as she was about to knock...

 

“Come in” came Leia’s voice. The door opened in front of Rey, with her fist in the air, even holding her breath. It still surprised her when Leia did things like this.

“I- uh… I have to talk to you general” she finally managed. Still agitated by the long run, she continued “I saw him again, but it was different”

 

“Come in, Come in” she said while gesturing her in. “What was it dear? You look terrible, please sit” and motioned her to a nearby sofa and sat with her, “Tell me, what was it that you saw?”

 

“I- I saw more, I normally just see him but this time I could see something else, I think they- they killed a man” she muttered, the possibility of them being the men they heard about was alarming. Barely returning from her two week visit to the temple, she received news that three men, supporters of the Resistance, had been captured by the First Order. Leia gave her a worried look, unable to answer.

 

“I could barely make out the other two. Then he ordered someone to take “the other two” to the farthest cells in the palace, but then he went on with the reconstruction of the Empire. It doesn’t make sense now… I...” she went on, but Leia’s expression reeled her off. She knew something... “What is it?” she questioned, Leia took a minute, scrutinizing something and then began.

 

“It’s a wild guess, but- the wording Kylo Ren used is… odd. It might give us a tip to where they are” she paused, thinking “We’ve been receiving reports of movement form the Inner Rim, but we haven't been able to pinpoint their exact location. We just narrowed it down to Tython, Coruscant and Corellia” she said. Upon Leia’s revelation, Rey’s eyes widened in excitement.

  
“We could send a rescue party, once we find them, we’ll be able to get to them!” she said excitedly, but Leia’s face said otherwise “What’s wrong?” she said, her joy fading.

 

“That it’s not so simple. Think about it Rey: you’re a loose end that can filter information at any time if Kylo’s not careful. And suddenly he lets on a possible secret?, almost giving it away...” she said, her hand on her chin “If he is where I think, then it is most probably a trap to lure you out” she finished and Rey’s smile faded, Leia was right but…

 

“We cannot turn our back to them, if we leave them, they’ll die for sure” she pressed on.

 

Leia stared at her, sadly and let out a long tired sigh.

 

“I cannot guarantee anything Rey, but I assure you I’ll try” she said and began to stand up, Rey followed “And with this information I cannot be stationed, let’s go to the comm bay”.

 

They began the walk back to the communications bay in silence, both too absorbed in their own plans, which they were not ready to share just yet. Rey thought of the possibility of the trap and wondered what would Kylo plan with her now, she didn't need to wonder much as she remembered the beheaded man.

 

In the comm room, they were received by surprised faces, apparently they weren't expecting Leia anytime soon. “Connix, I need you to search the intel we’ve found in Coruscant, I think our suspicions were right” she said, Connix stared back.

 

“But General, we’ve only received information about small shuttles and commercial ships, nothing big” she replied.

 

“I think we’ve been played, I have reasons to believe that they have stationed themselves in the Old Empire’s palace” she retorted, Connix gasped and some others turned their heads to her. “so, no time to spare, come on!” and immediately everyone got to work.

 

Rey stared at the whole commotion, Coruscant? All this time he’d been in Coruscant? It seemed appropriate that they hid in plain sight, but it just made her bitter to think that he was closer and closer into emulating the old Empire. What did he want then? A pang came to her chest and her stomach churned. Poe approached Leia, looking apprehensive.

 

“Leia, if what you say it’s true, then they’ll be heavily armored” said Poe, skipping formalities.

 

“Maybe, but they have been there all this time, why haven’t they made a move yet? something seems off and we’ll find out what” said Leia with determination.

 

“But Leia, the prisoners can’t wait that long!” interrupted Rey, _so much for waiting_ she thought, but she needed to keep it a priority, Leia gave a long look and then turned to see Poe.

 

“Poe, call General Lando to an urgent meeting. There’s something we need to discuss as soon as he arrives” she said and turned back to look at Rey, she gave her a curt nod and Rey took it as her exit.

 

Later that evening, Rey was summoned back to the communications bay, when she arrived, she found Poe just outside the doors, his presence felt off and he looked tired, he seemed to be lost in thought and hadn’t paid attention to her. She cleared her throat a little before giving him a small hi. He flinched and looked up with a worried face, which he immediately hid behind a smile.

 

“Rey, long time no see!” he jokingly said, she gave him a small smile and asked for the others.

“They’re inside but they told me they would call us in when they finished, I have no idea what's going on” he said while looking at the door. Maybe he was hoping he’d catch something if he stared hard enough and then he turned back to her. “How’s it going, I barely see you lately”

 

“Well, I’ve been training mostly, helping out like the rest and sometimes I train with Finn, though I haven't seen him recently, have you?” she asked, giving Poe a quizzical look, she thought that it was due to his newfound love with Rose. However, Poe’s smile faltered immediately and started to look fidgety.

 

“Finn, nah, I- I haven’t seen much of him, maybe he’s too busy now with…” and he made a gesture with his hands, like if he had bangs.

 

“Yeah I thought so too” she said absentmindedly, she liked Rose but she missed Finn. She completely failed to notice Poe's relieved sigh. Suddenly the doors came open and Lando was in front of them.

 

“Come in please”

 

They sat in silence while Lando and Leia exchange looks, then Leia broke it.

 

“We found them, we found the First Order” she said. Everyone gasped “They’ve been using cloaking devices and surveilling communications to keep their presence secret, throwing off our intel. However, with some of the reports that we received before and inconsistencies we found with the shuttle reports, we were able to confirm their location” she said and then looked at Lando, who continued, looking at Rey.

 

“Along with this information and your intel, we can assume that the prisoners we heard about are the same ones you saw, but with the conditions we’re in and the heavy surveillance the First Order will have, we think it’d be a suicide mission to even step into the atmosphere of Coruscant” he said, his voice weary. He didn't say more,but he implied a lot.

 

They couldn't decide like that, those people, they could die because of the Resistance. Rey jumped to her feet “How can you say that? We must find a way to save them, it’s not up to you decide that, we have to do everything possible!” she said angrily.

 

All three looked up at her, Poe was anguished, Leia and Lando had the same weary look, maybe it was just an old people thing. Lando raised his voice “It’s not a matter of decision kid, it’s a matter of survival. We can't just storm into the First Order’s base! We don't have the numbers, simple as that!” said Lando raising his voice even more. Leia looked over him and smiled, only Han managed to rile him up like that. She turned to Rey and Poe and began…

 

“There could be a way though…” she said, the three of them turned around. Lando’s face flabbergasted.

 

“You can’t be serious!” said Lando, trying really hard not to yell.

 

“I am, you should know that by now” she said eyeing him.

 

Leia began explaining the basics of the plan. To assemble a team, small enough to not lack manpower but to be able to enter without being discovered by the First Order.

It was basically a carefully planned suicide mission. There were so many things that could go wrong that Poe's heavily modified X-wing seemed like a perfectly safe spaceship in comparison.

 

The plan required to ensure that they would be able to enter Coruscant without being identified, so they needed a convincing front for the mission, Lando would be ideal for that position as he was a registered merchant and an underwater* smuggler from the old days. Then, they needed to enter the palace and mingle with the troopers, Finn would be the ideal man for the task, once procuring the disguise, they would be secured.

 

If they were able to pull it off, they would have to find a way to break out the prisoners without alerting the whole army, Rey would be perfect for that. And then, the escape plan, if they managed to still be in one piece after retrieving the prisoners they still had to ensure their escape route. And then they just needed to consider contingency plans for every step of the way. Piece of cake.

 

All in all, it was quintessential that the mission remained a secret, to a point that none other than the chosen ones to make up the team would be able to know the specifics of the full nature of the plan. Poe suggested C'ai Threnalli and other pilots to help out with the mission but they still needed to keep their numbers small, Rey thought of Rose, but she wasn’t sure if she’d be up to the task.

 

After hours of planning, they settled for something closer to a finished draft, but still needed to tweak details here and there. Once they had more detailed blueprints of the palace, (an advantage to accumulating logs and logs of intel from all the bases) they would be able to determine the routes of entry and exit. If one step went wrong, they couldn't hesitate in acting.

 

Lando was to procure munitions and explosives for the contingency plan, also as distraction, he left to send a message to his other delivery freights to change course to Dantooine and delay other less urgent cargo.

  


______ . ______

  


Kylo was walking to the lift, he needed some time alone and the only place he could get it was in the throne room, separate from everything.

 

His left temple throbbed, surely it would leave an ugly bruise, he entered the lift while holding his hand to the injury. He felt a pang of pain and Rey's emotions and memories flashed again. He groaned loudly and stumbled back to the wall of the elevator. He didn’t understand what was happening to the bond, he was sure that she wasn’t able to see his surroundings before but this time she’d been witness of an execution. He really needed to act fast; and if his plan worked correctly he’d be able to capture her soon. The lift stopped and he made way to the throne room, Arnar and Kayukk were already stationed outside of the doors.

 

“Did you deal with the prisoners?” he asked, Arnar simply nodded. “Did you dispose of the body?” he said, this time it was Kayukk who nodded. “Good”

 

He entered the room and found the other knights standing around the throne. “Leave, l’ll call you later”

 

Everything was slowly going awry. His failure at Crait, the constant suspicions against him, the incessant search for the Resistance, Hux questioning his every move, the holovids of Sidious, the nightmares with Rey and… Rey.

 

He slumped against the chair and let out a groan, he began rubbing his temple and slouched in the chair. He was barely getting comfortable when a droid entered the room, making him flinch, good thing he was alone… The droid extended one of his arms and handed him a small vial with a dark and thick fluid, he observed it while the droid prepared a holovid proyector. The small shape of the General of the scientific division came to be:

 

_“Supreme Leader, what you’re holding is the most recent discovery that we’ve made from synthesizing the mineral samples extracted from Crait. Our research departement saw its potential and developed multiple uses for them, one of the most successful ones is the one you’re currently holding: a synthetic poison that works by oxidizing the body of the subject at an accelerated speed, I believe it will be most useful to you my Lord”_

 

Kylo observed the small vial and imagined what he could do with it, his mind quick to think of Hux writhing in pain and begging to be killed; a small smile spread on his face and he chuckled to himself. He then wrote a log for a meeting the next day, Hux was the one who ordered for the manufacture of this and this was the first time he had heard of it.

 

He continued with the rest of his pendings, he needed to be alert of the reports the leaders from Belnar were sending, Hux was very keen on them and he couldn't let him run amuk. And on the corner of his screens, he had the entering and departing log feed of the ships, he would sometimes review it, unable to find anything odd.  Uncertain of what he was looking for, and unsure of what he would do with what he found.

By the time he decided to retire himself to his quarters, most of the hallways had switched to night lights, most of the rooms were dark and the lights were dim. He fell unceremoniously to his bed, barely undressing from fatigue, which had been following him for the past week relentlessly, it was so, that he didn’t even notice when he fell asleep.

 

But yet again, he wouldn't find solace in his sleep .

 

_His eyes shot open, the red room was there again. But his body didn't feel as heavy this time, he defended himself swiftly and moved forward to the figure wielding the blue saber, she seemed unaware of him, fending on her own, and just as she broke free and darted to find her next victim she stopped in front of him. They stared into each others eyes, different to the usual, she was now looking up at him, uneasy. And he felt the tug on his hand, lifting his saber, unable to stop, he could feel his grip trembling as he resisted but the red of his lightsaber shone menacingly down on her face, she didn't move, her eyes filled with rage and sadness._

 

_His felt a stronger pull on his hand, his lightsaber inches form her face now, he was breaking a sweat at this point, but she took his hand and said._

 

_“Don’t”_

 

_He felt the lightsaber cut her._

 

His eyes shot open, adrenaline flooding every part of his being, suddenly sinking into reality, he sat up gasping for air, covered in cold sweat. When it wasn’t enough, his stomach churned and he got out of bed, stumbling to the bathroom, he peered into the toilet’s mouth and retched all the contents of his stomach. With sweat covering his forehead and his hair sticking to it, he was heaving trying to recover between retchs.

 

Exhausted, he slumped back against the cold wall of the bathroom, his breathing ragged and short. Rey’s sad eyes burning his memory. Why had the dream changed? Did it have to do with what happened that day? Other connections had not affected the dreams before, what was different from the others? But then another thought won over. Did she… did she have the same dream?

 

He grunted and with difficulty began to stand up, still leaning against the wall for support.

 

This felt like some kind of wake up call, he had underestimated the urgency of the research about the bond, but everything always seemed more important and urgent than that. He sighed and rid of his clothes to shower, hopefully it would clear his mind.

 

The next day went on as always, yet he didn’t feel the same. And when the time came he entered the meeting room where Hux already awaited for him.

 

“Supreme Leader” said Hux curtly, as a salute. Kylo merely nodded. Taking the small vial from his belt he dramatically put it on the table, he calmly looked at Hux, whose face was stone cold.

 

“What is this? When was this approved?” he asked, Hux diverting his eyes to examine the vial.

 

“It’s a synthetic poison developed by our science ward..” he said, almost as if he’d rehearsed it. He was playing coy.

 

“What. Is. This.” he repeated. Hux removed his eyes from the vial and held his gaze, he could see how he clenched his jaw.

 

“Before leaving Crait, I ordered my men to take samples from the planet’s rich minerals. I’ve read that the potential of such materials and I wouldn’t let our visit to be such a waste” said Hux, who was now looking at him, his expression petulant and knowing. Kylo caught the comment but he shrugged them off, he wasn’t a teen to be bothered by such snide comments

 

“And what did you expect to do with this?” he asked, he was willing to give him a chance to explain himself, even if it meant nothing.

 

But Hux changed his tactics “And what happened to dealing with the prisoners? I thought that you were going to kill them all, to set an example” said Hux, he walked around the table and placed himself in front of him, his hands on the the table. “It would help you to finish what you couldn’t, Supreme Leader” said Hux while looking at the vial on the table, he returned his attention to him, glaring, expecting his next move.

 

Kylo approached the table, “What I do is nothing of your concern, If I spared those men it’s because I deemed it so. My actions are not yours to question, Hux. You keep forgetting your place in all of this” he said, raising his voice just a little to make his point clear. Hux grimaced as if he smelled something rotting. “Now, you will tell me what you planned to do with this” he insisted, after all, that was the only reason he had summoned Hux at all.

 

“For interrogatory purposes, people become more compliant when faced with imminent death” Hux finally answered, turning away from him. “Not everyone is as gullible as you make them be, Kylo. I won’t yield” he continued, his tone was even, but menacing, like when he gave his speeches to the troops.

 

“Then we’ll see how long you can hold” said Kylo, he took the vial from the table and turned around.  


 

When Kylo left, Hux was left alone to consider his next move. He couldn’t go around testing waters with Kylo at his heels all the time and risking another chokehold wasn’t part of his plans. He lifted his hand and lightly traced where the phantom pain still remained, he scowled, angered that Kylo could easily gain the upper hand with just enforcing his will on the mystical force. It was humiliating.

 

But not everything was a loss. Under the pretense that they couldn’t risk losing another Leader, he pushed the motion of strengthening the Supreme Leader’s guard, the other generals had agreed and various insisted even more than himself, and every now and then they would give him updates on Kylo. But after months of receiving useless reports from the troopers, he received news of what had transpired that day with the prisoners.

 

He also remembered the odd report they had given him, that Kylo had been quietly speaking to himself in a corridor. Considering this pieces of information, he was becoming more and more convinced that Kylo was onto something or… he was going mad.

 

But whatever it was, he knew he was up to something and he would find out what it was.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A little teaser, we've commissioned a little something to PandaCapuccino!! Stay tuned :P


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rey and company head out on a mission. Things get difficult

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OMG!! It took so long to finish this chapter, changes have been made to the story so I basically had to rewrite the whole thing henceforth the insane amount it took me to write it, that and cat videos getting in the way. 
> 
> Right now we're working on chapter 10, 12 and 13, but after chapter ten we'll have to take another break to get them ready and decrease the pauses between chapters. And don't worry, the wait will be worth it :)
> 
> This is the longest chapter I have written so far so if you have any questions, since a lot happens, feel free to ask me at my tumblr: http://mrsmancuspia.tumblr.com/
> 
> Now grab a snak, a nice drink, sit back and enjoy cuz you're in for a ride!

The next day everyone began working at sunrise, gathering all the things necessary for the mission. Lando’s freights, after detouring from their routes, were due to arrive that same day. 

 

They knew it was a very bold move after what had happened with their previous base and in Crait, that they were taking major risks and couldn't put the whole Resistance’s existence in jeopardy, so every caution was to be taken in order to protect the secret. They hadn’t been able to find the FO sooner but this was as good as it could get. They had one shot, one they wouldn’t waste.

 

Leia herself had intended to speak with Finn and Rose about the mission, they knew something was up but she wouldn't let them join it if they weren’t aware of the risks that it would entail, but things needed to go on as normal and her presence was always in demand, so the task was handed down to Poe who could be blunt at times and this was one of those.

 

And blunt he was, he summoned Finn and Rose at first thing in the morning, both were confused and worried for the sudden call, what was  going on? They wondered. He explained the details as thoroughly as he could while trying to avoid eye contact with Finn as much as possible, however he couldn't help noticing that the couple was much closer since the last time he’d seen them. After running over the details he finished with a critical part of the plan: if the mission were to fail at some point, it would be aborted and anyone could be left behind. This made it clear why it was such a small team.

 

He gave them until that same evening to decide, since they needed to know if they had to adapt the plan to a smaller team. He gave them both a pat on the shoulder to reassure and rid them of any pressure, when he left them he couldn't help but notice the helpless gaze Rose gave to Finn, and his own heart clenched upon the sight.

 

_____ . _____

 

The next day arrived quickly and tensions were rising fast, everyone was only waiting for the moment to head out, they had agreed that Leia would signal them the moment. Connix was onto the plan too, since they needed a contact in the base that knew what was going on with the mission, in case anything went wrong. 

 

Rey herself was growing anxious by the minute. The bond hadn’t opened since that last time but she was in constant alert that it would at any moment, maybe after that, he would try to force it open... she didn’t know if that was possible but every time she began discussing the mission with anyone she would get jittery and restless looking for any sign of Kylo, draining her. 

 

And maybe the bond hadn’t opened but the dreams hadn’t stopped, and since that last connection, they had changed. This time it wasn't her who gave the finishing blow to Kylo, but the other way around. She was waking up feeling a pang in her chest, on the verge of tears, unable to understand the meaning of it but completely exhausted, it was taking a lot from her to keep up yet she wouldn't allow it to hinder her ability to perform in the mission. But without a chance to meditate, it was going to cost her.

  
  


By noon they had split and started heading to their positions, Poe was on his way to his X-Wing when Leia held him by his arm, stopping him gently. He turned around and looked at her with worry, but she merely smiled. 

 

“Don’t worry Poe, you’re ready” she said, gently squeezing his arm before heading off to the communications bay again, leaving him frozen on the spot. He stared at her back wondering how was it that she’d come to know him so well yet she still remained a mystery. He shook it off and ran to Lando’s ship, where the others were already waiting for him. 

 

As he peered inside,  everyone’s eyes set on him: Rose was sitting with Lando discussing details of the mission, while in the cockpit were Chewie, Rey and… Finn. His stomach made some kind of a summersault at the sight of him. Any other time he would have welcomed this feeling as a healthy dose fear, necessary to push himself to the limit, but not this time. He just wasn’t the same man anymore, there was too much to lose now. He grimaced and gave out an order.

 

“Guys, get ready, we leave in five” he said, everyone turned their heads to him and took notice of the announcement, his gaze lingering on Finn a little more than necessary, who held his gaze, giving him a reassuring nod. Poe picked up some things and left to board his ship.

 

Walking down the hangar to his own ship, he saw that C’ai was already in his X-Wing awaiting instructions, on his own ship was BB-8 already installed  and getting the machine ready to depart. He got into the cockpit of his modified X-wing and began fastening his helmet and belts, his heart thumping hard against his chest, muttering to himself some reassurances, he took a deep breath. But his focus broke by the beeps and boops coming from BB-8.

 

“Mind your own business buddy, just focus on your job” he said a bit annoyed, to which BB-8 answered with cocky beeps. Poe blushed. 

 

“Where did you...? How did you…? You know what, just zip it, this is already rollin’!” he said, and BB-8 mocked him before getting on with his own tasks. With communications already set up, he ran over the first steps of the plan.

 

“Ok guys, this is the easy part, we’re going to arrive at 1600 hours to Coruscant, as soon as we arrive we’ll need to find cover. But that will come after we get there” he said and everyone gave their approval. 

 

The ships slowly began their lift off from the hangar, Lando’s ship exited first for being the slowest and was quickly followed by the two X-Wings. In less than five minutes they had made it to the outside of Dantooine where Poe gave further instructions. 

 

“We’ll fly to the Hydian Way and from there it’s a quick route through the hyperlane until we reach Coruscant. Lando, we make the jump on your command”. said Poe, and just after a brief seconds, the ships disappeared and it was only but darkness again.

  
  


Hours later they exited the hyperspace and arrived to the lone and cold emptiness of space once more, Poe delegated the control of the ship to BB-8 and boarded Lando’s ship. C’ai was to stay behind, away from Coruscant’s border, in case they needed backup. 

Just as Poe arrived, he caught everyone in the midst of changing into civilian clothes. Rey was now wearing a pair of black trousers and a black turtleneck under a large blue long sleeved robe that reached past her hips and it was tied a little below her waist, along with a pair of old boots, green gloves and a gray cowl around her neck, if Poe hadn’t known her, he would easily mistake her for a small man. 

 

Rose had chosen similar garments, but her’s consisted of burgundy trousers and a brown robe, she had put on a pair of goggles and completed her guise with a reddish cowl, Rose turned to see him and frowned. “Whatchu looking at” she said with a sarcastic tone. “Nothing, it’s all very convincing SIR” Poe said almost too innocently, and both chuckled. Her laugh sounded just like Paige’s. 

 

He moved on to go and change with Finn, who was already wearing the black bodysuit Lando had handed them, Poe stared and marveled at how the pants made his b-... He looked away, blushing, he shut his eyes and refocused on the mission; he could question himself about those thoughts later, now it wasn't the time. With everyone ready and set, and  everything suspicious stowed away, they made way to enter Coruscant.

 

Shortly after, they heard a transmission from the intergalactic border. 

 

“This is the command center of Coruscant, please state your identity and business” said the intercom, Lando looked at it and smiled smugly.

“This is Reyn’d Hondo, from Chardaan, I have my merchant’s ID, I’m sending the data over” said Lando, he seemed so overly confident about his facade that it made everyone a little nervous. The comm went quiet for a minute that felt eternal, causing everyone to jump when it finally lit up again, apparently Lando’s identity was more than a fake since it hadn’t risen any suspicions from the patrol

.

“All right Mr. Hondo, everything seems in order, you may pass. Please  use the landing hangar E-11, where you will be granted an escort.” said the comm and Lando sent his approving answer. Just as the communications were shut off, everyone let out a loud sigh of relief, unaware that they’d been holding their breaths. 

 

Phase one was almost ready, and now it was Finn and Poe’s turn to get into the wall compartment Lando had prepared for them, it was really small but it was between the power generator, making it impossible to find them there. Poe had already tried to come up with an alternative but his face was too well known and Finn couldn't afford stumbling on someone who knew him. So it was down to that. Finn entered first and laid back against the wall, trying to scoot as much as he could to give them enough space; Poe began to sweat and froze on the spot. Chewie roared and nudged him.

 

“I'm coming!” He retorted, Finn gave him a sheepish smile and Poe fidgeted. He slowly accommodated himself facing Finn forward, thinking this was the best option.

 

“Chewie hurry up back there, we're about to land” came Lando’s voice. And without warning, Chewie pushed Poe in and the panel into place. The nook was definitely not made to accomodate people and let alone two grown men; Finn's leg ended up between Poe's, leaving him strapped on the spot, his arms were just at the sides of Finn's face, and their faces side to side. Poe could feel Finn's light breathing on his neck and his body began to react in a way he would never be able to explain. 

 

“Ooookay, I need to move, this is too much” he said while squirming. Finn merely looked puzzled and moved as much as he could while Poe turned around. 

“How is this any better Poe?” grunted Finn in an annoyed tone from behind him, his breath now  grazing his ear, making the hair on his nape rise, along with other things. He was right, but at least he wasn't forking Finn's leg, so that was a win.

 

“Just bear with me, I’m not precisely claustrophobic but I’ve had more space even when captured” he said sarcastically and Finn was about to shoot back when they felt the ship land. Both went dead quiet.

 

The silence didn’t last long, soon they were hearing the echo of footsteps going and then a loud thud, probably the ramp going down, silence and then a pair of footsteps all too familiar. “Troopers” mumbled Finn, they remained still and quiet, hearing as the men got closer and closer. They tapped compartments, opened doors, and even removed parts of the ceiling, sometimes coming too close to where they were, but never enough. Poe was glad he’d brought a spare pair of pants.

 

Outside, everyone except Lando were also breaking a sweat, trying to look distracted but inevitably looking out for the Stormtroopers, watching were they were going, what they were doing. But after serving the resistance, there was always a reason to be on edge.

 

When they were called, Lando and Rose walked towards the officer in charge, closely followed by Chewie and Rey. The officer was accompanied by two troopers, he greeted them with administrative coldness and they returned it equally. 

 

The officer took out a holoscreen and began asking questions about their business, their usual customers, and visits to other planets yet Lando never even broke a sweat. He was almost like a completely different person, using a suave and aloof personality contrary to his worried and responsible one he’d shown back at the base. The officer eyed Lando every now and then, suspicious of his calm demeanor, so he began asking about his companions. Bue he didn’t even falter, he quickly answered that Rose was his niece, whilst Chewie and Rey were the muscle. The officer lifted an eyebrow at Rey .

 

Catching the action, Lando was quick to act “I wouldn't question it if I were you, he ripped the hull of my ship when I did. So I hired him!” said Lando with a smirk. The mas was taken aback and Rey took the chance to glare, he flinched and went back to his holoscreen.

 

Soon after, he concluded “You will be granted access to the areas permitted by your merchant’s ID but your companions must be accompanied by you or you must request a provisional ID for them, understood?” said the man sternly.

 

“Perfectly, Officer” said Lando with an wink and a corny salute. Even Chewie rolled his eyes.

When the officer had left they started to take their positions: Lando would take Chewie and Rey to unload their “cargo”, crates where Finn and Poe would be hiding. Rose was to get the speeder in order to move the crates to the point of sale and once there, Lando had assured a contact that would help them slip away from the guards’ eyes. 

  
  


_____ . _____

  
  


With the old blueprints from the palace memorized, they were aware of the possible weak points in security, especially those of the east side, so when their suppositions came to fruition, they were ecstatic. Rose was driving the small speeder, Rey was next to her and Finn and Poe were already out of hiding, Rose was to drop the other three off at the eastern entrance of the palace, where luckily, only four guards would be at the doors. 

 

Rey jumped first, cushioning her fall with the Force, but her lumpy clothes got in the way and made her stumble. The troopers immediately approached her, but with her saber and a little push, she had them unconscious in a zinch. Finn and Poe stared dumbfounded, she could really fool anyone with her size. With the area secured, they made the jump and she helped them land safely, making the ten meter fall feel like nothing. 

 

They all quickly changed into the armors, Poe caught Finn staring at the helmet with disdain before putting it on, the armors weren’t all that great and their sight was really crippled, but they’d do the job. Finn turned and peeked to see Rose, he gave the signal, she nodded and by the next second she was gone. 

 

“Ok, our time is running… now!” said Finn, while starting a timer on his wrist. They had calculated about thirty minutes to complete the mission, any more than that and they were good as dead. 

They opened the doors and peered into the huge architecture of the place, old and nostalgic with the distinctive decor of the First Order. Following Finn’s indications, they mingled easily and now needed to find the elevators leading to the basement levels of the palace, were they most probably held the prisoners, however they only had two things to rely on: the old and outdated schematics of the palace and Rey. 

 

In any other situation the bulky helmet would have been a pain to fight in but it served the double purpose of dampening all external noise, helping Rey to reach out and focus. She began to feel all of those that lived in the palace, hearing small whispers, voices and murmurs, honing it…. but the strain from the sheer size of the place along with the number of people, was much greater that she’d anticipated, like a thousand needles ingraining her mind, she could barely hear the pleas of the prisoners, different from the noise of the ship, but it was all too much. Then, within all the noise, like a single drop of silence, there he was.

 

Her eyes snapped open immediately. He had felt her, he knew who she was. It was not only a race against time, but against him too. 

 

“I think I know where they are, but we gotta move now. We don't have much time” she said through the mask, she saw them nod and began walking.  

 

Since running was not an option if they were to remain incognito, they weren’t going to move as fast as they had planned, and they also began to notice that a lot of guards were moving through the hallways, all of them in direction to where they had come from. Rey couldn’t help but wonder: Had he given up her presence?, had they discovered the blacked out soldiers? she couldn’t help but feel a pang at the first choice…

  
  


_____ . _____

  
  


Every now and then she needed to stop and focus again, like calibrating a compass to point into the right direction. And when they finally reached the elevators, there were four of them side by side, Finn pressed the button of the one at the end and anxiously awaited. 

 

“How long do we have” came Poe’s distorted voice, at the same moment Finn pushed his sleeve back and checked the timer.

“Fifteen minutes” said Finn, Poe grunted. The tension was rising along with the stakes. 

“We will make it, we only-” said Rey, but she abruptly stopped mid sentence. The other two looked at her to understand what had happened and then they saw him too. Hux was at the other side of the hallway making way to the elevators, accompanied by his personal guard and absently checking a holoscreen. 

 

Finn stared at him with such murderous intent that even  Poe could feel it, and maybe it was that or something else but Hux turned his head in their direction, and like startled children they all looked away but Finn lingered a little too much making Hux keep his eyes on him, curious. Just when they were beginning to think of aborting the mission, the doors to the elevator opened, they tried to hurry up into it as calmly as possible. Once the doors shut, Finn let out a groan.

 

“This is too much guys, if we ever make it out of here, I swear i’ll kiss a banta” said Finn, causing Rey and Poe to chuckle lightly with a hint of nervousness. At least the sense of humor had not died just yet.   

And then Rey felt it again, his presence hounding her, pressuring to give up access to her mind, but she kept shutting him off. He knew she was here, but she had to keep him unaware of her whereabouts, he may have expected her but he didn’t know the logistics of their plan. If it got too dangerous, she would have to split from the others...

 

After a minute and thirty seconds, according to Finn’s timer, the doors opened. If their assumptions were still helpful, these floors were the less changed of all the palace and the path would be much easier now, they only had to keep straight and take one left. In addition, it was so isolated from the rest of the place that Rey could sense the prisoners way more clearly and like this, they would be able to get out in no time. But of course, things were never easy. 

 

When they reached the cellar there were two guards just outside, they crouched just behind a wall, trying to assess their situation. “We’ll approach them and I’ll try to get them to give us access, if not, you’ll be up Rey” said Finn, doubtfully. But Poe shot that plan down, how would it be convincing? they didn't have any corroboration data. So it was up to Rey now, they straightened up and got into the usual guard position with Finn walking at the front. 

 

“Stop, you can't be here, this is a restricted area” came the mechanical voice of one of the guards, but they didn’t and Rey pulled up her arm before they could react.

 

“You will give us access and report nothing” she said in an monotone voice. The guard droned the same words and opened the door. They were about to hurry inside when the other guard stopped them.

 

“What are you doing? What was that?” his voice panicked, he pointed his gun at them, backed away and used his commlink. “I have intruders in S4 at the weste-” but before he could finish Rey pushed him hard against the wall, knocking him out, the door was opened but soon they would be surrounded with guards at the depths of the First Order’s base. It was now or never. They went in following Rey to the cells where their targets were located and when they found the prisoners they could see the terrible shape they were in. Rey turned to see the other two.

 

“You must take them to the rendez-vous point, I’ll stay behind to delay the guards and give you more time” In any other situation one of them would’ve complained, but they all knew what was at stake and they just didn’t have time to lose. They nodded and blasted the door away, immediately the alarms went off. 

 

_____ . _____

 

Meanwhile, in the transmissions room…

 

The strange report was enough to alert Hux of what was going on, he was the first to begin making way to the cells while the others were too confused to understand what was happening. He knew it was just a matter of time for them to get brave again. Maybe this was exactly what he needed to take down Ren. It would be perfect. He patted the small medical gun he had in his pocket, nowadays he barely parted with it.

 

…

 

In hopes of being more convincing, Finn suggested that they cuff the prisoners, in case anyone questioned them. They walked as fast as the abused men could, giving Finn a chance to look back, Poe caught him in the act and reassured him.“She can handle herself man, she'll make it” he said in the most convincing tone he could muster, but even then, he was unsure.

 

When Rey lost sight of her friends, she started to make a run for herself, but almost by chance, a minute after they had taken the elevator, another one arrived to that floor. Her heart skipped a beat and hid behind a wall, she heard how the elevator pinged and it's doors opened swiftly. Her breathing sped up. She heard the footsteps of someone eco slowly through the hallway, they knew there was somewhere. She readied herself and spun around the corner with her blaster ready, but as she tried to take aim, she was met with blasts from the other one other than that she only saw orange. Hux.

 

“Show yourself!!!” screamed Hux, shooting even more, his footsteps getting closer. She could take out her saber but she couldn't give out her identity that easily, if he discovered the Resistance was behind this, though they may suspect it, it would mean they wouldn't be safe for long. So she closed her eyes and looked for his presence, he wasn't far and was moving slowly towards her, the muffled sound of his shoes on the metallic floor helping her to focus. If she ducked as she charged, he wouldn't hit her and she could get a chance to tackle him, she readied herself and…

 

The blaster immediately went off and hit the wall just where she would be, she ducked and rolled and caught him by his torso, they fell down hard and began struggling. She was trying to hold him down while figuring out how to get free without giving him any openings.

 

“Get off of me you imbecile” yelled Hux, his face vivid. He was punching her helmet as she was trying to get into a better position to knock him out but as she tried to get away he threw blind punches and slaps, one of those punches made contact with the front of the helmet, it disoriented her and gave the opening she was trying to avoid. He clutched the helmet and in a single movement, too quick for her to stop it, it came off.

Hux’s eyes became big and wild.

 

“YOU!!, I should’ve known it was you, I knew we had to terminate you in that moment, you scum” yelled Hux, who pushed her off him, taking advantage of her lack of control he gripped one of her hands, his fingers digging hard into her skin, attempting to drag her “I won’t let you get away, finally the First Order will see Kylo’s ineptitude. This is just what I needed” continued Hux, rambling and his face full of malevolus excitement.

 

Rey wasn’t about to let him, she exploited Hux’s firm grip on her to pull him down and with her other hand took a swing at his face, the blow landed straight to his jaw throwing him off balance to the floor. She stood up and placed her right foot on his chest, his nose bleeding just like hers and his expression just as vivid if maybe a little afraid; panting from the adrenaline of the encounter, she mustered.

 

“You.. will never be able to kill the Resistance!” she said, raising her voice through gritted teeth, putting pressure onto Hux’s chest, making him wheeze. Wistfully, she didn’t catch when Hux slowly moved his hand to his pocket, the moment she looked away, he took the chance to swing his free hand to one of Rey’s calves, shooting her with a small medical gun and injecting a black substance into her; she cried out in pain as the thick liquid entered her body, she pushed him with the Force in a brusque fight or flight movement and sent him flying against the nearest wall. The loud thud resounded in all the hallway and Hux fell like a ragdoll to the floor.

 

She looked at the gun still attached to her leg, she pulled it out and flinched at the familiar sensation. Poison, she thought. With this and Kylo’s persistent badgering to her mind, she was starting to see her options slimming. If she wanted to make it out alive…

 

Then her comm lit up. The static was strong and she could barely understand it.

 

“Rey… they're onto us… they haven't… caught… meet… heliport… you… only… five” it was Poe's voice, but there static and he sounded alarmed and agitated, as if he was running. Probably after the alarm activated all the guards mobilized to catch them, this was not part of the plan at all, but hopefully they could still use their disguises to any advantage.

 

_____ . _____

 

On the other side of the palace, Finn and Poe where scurrying away with the prisoners, with the alarms blaring everywhere it was harder to hear out for any incoming guards, and even so, backup was arriving quite slowly, giving them time. They weren’t complaining, if it meant they had more time to make it to the heliport, they would take it. Another problem was how slow they were going, their calculated time was almost up and they still hadn’t managed to get out, the two men were doing the best they could to keep up but their physical condition was terrible at best.

 

“C’mon guys, we’ve made it this far, you cannot be giving up on us now” said Poe just as one of the prisoners began to slow down, he grabbed his arm and looped it around his neck, pulling him up to his height. “There, c’mon. We’re almost there, one last push” he insisted. The man nodded weakly and they resumed their way. And like it had been rehearsed many times, they heard the low rumble of Rose’s speeder arrive, hope shone brighter now. They ran towards it and reached for the line she had dropped, once the men men were on board, Rose left as fast as she could, however, mere seconds later, a small freight arrived and unceremoniously opened the hatch, that cluncked loudly upon touching land. Both were frantically looking for any sign of Rey amongst the rain of blasters that was beginning, if she took a minute longer...

 

Rey’s sight was beginning to blur and both her legs were feeling numb, but she was already so close, she pulled on the Force to help her move freely. Breathing heavily, she gave a hard push to the doors that they came off and immediately the sun rushed in and blinded her.

“REY!!” she heard, it was Finn screaming a top of his lungs for her and it gave her the last push she needed to go on.

 

She mustered all of her strength and sprinted off to the small freight, miraculously avoiding the blasts. She couldn’t make out who was on it, but they were screaming for her so she couldn’t give up. The freight was lifting off so she leapt as high as she could and extended her arms, reaching out to anyone there, the next moment she was being pulled in somewhere and voices like echoes were all around her, saying her name but then it was all quiet and everything went black.

  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finished! For now...
> 
> Solo's movie motivated me to write a little more of Lando, maybe it isn't much but all of his personality is there; he may be an old man but he's still got his moves :P
> 
> Your opinion is gold! Have you been following this fic? If you have, please don't doubt to comment and voice your opinions or tell me what you think it'll happen next!


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things start moving, everything starts changing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OMG!!! We have finally reached the ten count!! And what better way to celebrate it than with a special commission from http://pandacapuccino.tumblr.com/

“Hit it Lando, Hit it now!” yelled Finn, desperately. Everything had happened so fast, one moment they were desperately pulling Rey into the ship and the next they were trying to stabilize her with whatever they had on the ship, her lips were beginning to have a purplish hue and her skin was cold. She was barely responding and her breathing was shallow.

Finn didn't have any sort of medical experience but from her symptoms he could guess that it was some sort of toxin and if there was no antidote, she would die. What they could do now was put her on a breather and try to make her comfortable. On Rey’s other side, Poe was sitting with his knees to his face, with one of his hands holding her’s and the other one in his hair, almost pulling, he looked like he was about to lose it.

 

“Poe, are you… are you ok?” said Finn, warily, but Poe didn’t answer, he just kept on looking at Rey struggling to breathe, and squeezed her hand to reassure her subconscious. Finn tried one more time, making emphasis on his name, and this time Poe flinched, startled after snapping from his trance.

 

“What is it Finn? Have we arrived?” asked Poe, but he still looked anxious and on the edge. Finn extended his arm over Rey and grabbed his shoulder in a reassuring hold. To Finn’s surprise, Poe leaned into his hand and sighed longingly.

 

Finn was surprised by Poe’s reaction and even more so of his own, like a wave crashing on the shore, he felt a rush of emotions wash over him like a tsunami. The contact with Poe’s face made him shiver, his lashes grazing his hand like butterflies. What was this?

Absentmindedly he turned his hand and ever so slightly, cupped his cheek, but Poe’s eyes shot open in surprise and straightened up immediately, Finn took his hand away and Poe gave him a startled look. The moment had only lasted seconds, but had created ripples within them.

 

Everything ended with Lando’s voice. “What's going on back there? How’s Rey?!, he said, worriedly. They both snapped and Finn answered.

“She doesn’t look good Lando, she’s struggling to breathe and… he skin… I- I think she was poisoned or something” he said worriedly looking at Rey, holding her hand even tighter.

“Is there somewhere we can go?” chipped in Poe. “If she goes on like this… she’s not gonna make it” he said, more desperate.

“Problem is… with all the ruckus you left at the palace, it’ll be impossible to go right now, we have to ghost them if we are to make it” Lando said “First things first, we gotta dich this ship and find a friend of mine who owes me a favor” he said, unsure.

Poe gave Finn an optimistic look and a reassuring nod, which Finn returned, then he stood up and went to the cockpit with Lando, leaving Finn alone to worry for his dying friend and his unsettled heart.

 

Less than fifteen minutes later, they were landing in a very shady zone of Coruscant, Poe grabbed anything that could come in handy, along with two blasters and lest he forget, Rey’s saber. Finn, on the other hand, was carrying Rey in his arms, leaving Lando to be the voice of the group. He’d gotten out before them and was already in chats with an ithorian merchant. The man was doing a lot of hand gestures and judging by the sound of his voice, was pretty upset too. In about three minutes he’d calmed down and Lando was now passing one of his arms over his shoulder, assuring him of something, the man sighed and gave him a card, that Lando put in his trousers pocket, he bid him farewell with a pat on his back and signaled Finn and Poe to get closer.

 

“Ok boys, I got us access to a back alley clinic and my friend over there is gonna lend us a ship of his own. It’s no beauty but it’ll do” he said, going back to his responsible Lando personality. Finn and Poe nodded, but were interrupted by Rey groaning and shuddering, Finn looked up.

 

“Ok, but we gotta hurry, she’s getting worse by the minute” said Finn, feeling more anxious. Lando caught a glimpse of Rey’s seemingly delicate frame, she was beginning to look pasty and her lips were a ugly shade of purple, her eyes looked sunken and she was now breaking into a feverish sweat.  Lando’s friend came back and handed him a set of keys, whilst Lando gave him the ones to his HWK-290 (which didn’t look like one anymore), shared a brotherly handshake and hurried to their own tasks. The four of them boarded a Ycaqt droid cargo ship, it was small and also heavily modified, one would have to be and expert to be able to discern what it had once been. Definitely more cramped than the previous one, it was more than enough to move them.

 

They immediately mingled with the local traffic and left the zone to look out for the clinic Lando’s contact had told them about. They were to visit the netherworlds of Coruscant, in hopes than someone could still save Rey.

 

_____ . _____

 

When Kylo sensed her presence he was unsure on what to do, but when she opened herself to the Force he clearly felt where she was and rushed to find her.The bait had been taken and now it was time to seize the prey. But she’d turned out to be more astute once more, because she had pulled away from their bond like a scared animal and that time had been the only one that he had been able to clearly feel her at all, it was probably costing her a great effort, but she was managing it somehow. He knew where she was headed but with all the ruckus, it was almost impossible to move any faster.

 

Then he heard the alarms, clearly indicating that there had been a breach to the cells in the subterranean levels, so indeed she had taken the bait, and not only that he'd been able to confirm that she was passing on information from their connections to the Resistance. Even though it was expected, he couldn’t help but feeling betrayed, but he would see to find usefulness in all that.

 

All the way to the cells he was trying to reach her through their bond but every time she would shut him off, frustrating him with every attempt. she knew she would find him anyways, so why was she wasting her energy on keeping him at bay? He reached the elevators and went all the way down, but just as he exited looking for her, the bond opened and he could feel her again, but she wasn’t there. She had eluded him by mere seconds. It was too late, by the time he reached her she would’ve been long gone, so he focused on what he had at hand.

He examined the place furiously and saw the busted doors and then across the hallway, he saw Hux on the floor, unconscious and bleeding, he moved towards him to pry from him any information that could be deemed useful, but on his way, he stepped on something that cracked under his foot. He lifted his boot and examined the small medical gun and the broken vial on the floor, with just a few drops of a black viscous liquid, he scrutinized the gun when he fell on his knees to the floor.

 

A sharp pain attacked the left side of his chest, making it difficult to breathe, burning him at every gasp for air, he doubled with his left hand clawing at his chest and with the right grasping for anything to hold his ground.

What had happened? He groaned in pain while he tried to decipher what was going on.  

He had not suffered any injuries, physically he was in perfect condition. And then he heard the quiet hum of the bond like everytime it would open, but his expectations were disappointed as nothing happened, the hum dissipated and there was only but the horrible blaring of the alarm and nothing more.

He extended his senses and searched the Force for an answer but immediately ran into a wall. Nothing. There was nothing.

Then his eyes widened in realization of something he’d forgotten just recently, he took the small gun and darted towards Hux who was now groaning awake.

 

With his fury growing with every step by the time he reached Hux, who was now coming to himself, he roughly grabbed him by his collar and held him just a little above him.

 

“What. did. you. do. Hux?” seethed Kylo, his fury was reaching levels he could barely control, willing him to kill Hux right there, but he would first get answers.

“I merely finished what you couldn’t” said Hux, through wheezes, “I’ve just proven that I’m more capable than you’ll ever be” he finished, his lip and nose were beginning to look purplish, but that did not make his smirk falter, which only made Kylo even more furious.

“Do you ever stop to think that not every plan involves you?” began Kylo, “Did it go through your mind, even for a second, that this might be even bigger than you” his voice slowly becoming a deep growl “You will tell me what you did!”

“I don’t need to tell you” said Hux, smugly “You will find out by yourself!” his smirk growing wider.

“Oh I will” and this time, it was Kylo’s turn to smile, which in turn made Hux’s falter and turn to a fearful stare, because he was about to experience first hand, the House of Ren’s interrogation technique.

 

As Kylo dwelved into Hux’s mind he could see all his thoughts and ambitions, what he desired and just how much. He already knew all of this, so he quickly searched for what had just transpired. And he saw it, mixed in with Hux’s emotions, he saw how he pulled out the medical gun and shot her on the leg, how he knew she would die in less three hours, how he had managed to kill the last Jedi.

Hux had disobeyed, he had involved himself in the mission without informing him, Kylo knew he had been plotting something and this might have been it.

 

And in an instant, through pure will, he was pushed out of Hux’s mind but what he had seen was more than enough. Hux was now heaving on his knees, like recovering from a blow to his stomach. This would bring Kylo a cascading amount of problems but right know he had very little time, he had to make his way out of this. With gritted teeth he began.

“This is only a warning Hux, next time I won't be so lenient” he said, Hux looked up and locked eyes with him, pouring every bit of hatred he could muster.

“We’ll see about that” he said and with that Kylo left, leaving Hux to plot his next move.

 

Whatever Kylo was intending to do, he knew it was a suicide mission, that it went against the ideals and principles of the institution he swore to follow and now to lead, that he was committing the highest of treasons. But the agonizing feeling of letting her die was even worse than all that. He couldn’t understand from where was this coming from, but he knew that he had to act upon it.

 

Deep inside, his body burned with anxiety and fear. He had been taught so he could feed his power with such emotions, but this time it was different. He couldn't focus, he couldn't think; all he saw was Hux’s vision of Rey, unconscious and weak, but then his chest tightened as he imagined what would happen if he did nothing.

He couldn't explain what he was feeling at the moment but it definitely had something to do with what he had been experiencing for the last months, yet this time it was somehow different, more intense.

 

Once in the elevator he laid back against the wall and tried to reach out, and look out for her, after what Hux had done to her it was essential that he found her, if he took too long… But while in other times there would be a glimpse of light whenever he thought of her, right now there was only a dark void. The more he delved in that, the more painful the sensation was, he tried to search for her Force signature, and all he found was a faint feeling of her presence.  

Against his will, panic began to settle in his stomach and he searched with more intent this time, reaching to her, calling her like in other times, but then again, nothing. Just when he thought that he’d controlled himself, panic crept up his spine again, if anything went wrong he would make sure Hux paid the price. He took ahold of himself and sent a message to the medical wing, he would see them at the hangar, with his request ready.

 

Once out of the elevator he rushed out to where there was a commotion still going on, he called out to the guard in command to get a briefing on what had just happened. The guard number was TN-678, he sounded really nervous when he began questioning him.

“We believe that the infiltration began at the east entrance where we found some of our colleagues knocked down and stripped of their equipment, after that, visual was lost for about 15 minutes and-” the man was reporting everything that he had but Kylo already knew all of this, he demanded what they had about their escape means.

“Yes, uh... They left in two vehicles, a small speeder, which only picked up the prisoners, and just seconds later a small cargo freight picked up the rest of the members, two of them were already here, but a third one rushed after them… he looked in bad shape ‘cus he was limping and barely running…” said the soldier. “W-we tried to shoot them down but we didn’t do much damage since the ship was meant for that.. it looked like a HWK-290… but much shorter and heavily modified…” but Kylo just then found a lead.

 

“Give me the direction they headed out” he ordered the man, who told him that they had flown south, apparently to the lower areas of Coruscant. That was more than enough to find them.

He left the man and told the crew members of the hangar to ready him a one person speeder, he didn’t need more attention than what they had gotten already.  

 

The speeder was ready after only ten minutes, and within that time a young man from the medical wing handed him something with trembling hands. Kylo took it and the man left immediately.

TN-678 was still busy ordering the other guards, their hands were full after such an important breach of security, so when Kylo place his hand on his shoulder he was startled.

“You will not share my whereabouts with no one, understood?” said Kylo with a stern tone, time was running out but this was of great importance. The soldier stuttered and nodded, but Kylo felt he needed to understand the clarity of the situation, he tightened his grip and repeated “Understood?”, the man nodded immediately, followed by a ‘yes, Supreme Leader’, and that was that. He  was walking towards the small gray speeder when he felt Maro’s presence, he turned around and there he was, wearing his long dark cloak, his skull like mask peeking underneath.

“If I may, Master. Where are you headed?” came Maro’s cold and distorted voice, the eyes of the mask fixed on him. To tell Maro that he was about to do something that even he didn’t understand was out of the question, but keeping him in the dark any longer was dangerous.

“There is something I must do. If I succeed… I will tell you everything” he said, while looking down, but when he made his promise, he looked up to the mask, and through the Force he let on his intentions of finding someone, but not who. Maro stared a few seconds and nodded, he took Kylo’s hand and menacingly said.

“The knights of Ren serve no one but their Master, never forget that Kylo” his voice adamant, and with that, he left Kylo to wonder what he intended by reminding him that.

 

He shook it off and got on the speeder, and made way to the east of Coruscant.

 

_____ . _____

 

The search for the little clandestine clinic had not been an easy one, and even with Rey agonizing in Finn’s arms, who was on the verge of tears. She was now dead weight and pasty looking, with a blue tinge lining her lips, and small dark veins popping all over her skin, barely responding to any stimulus except for her breathing which was starting to become erratic.

 

They had landed at the outskirts of the city which edged with the poorest and most dangerous areas, but it only seemed to encourage Lando that it was the right place, Chewie stayed behind keeping an eye on the ship, while the rest went to find such clinic.

The place held barely any difference to an underground gambling bar, it even had the dingy metallic door at the front, Lando passed a key card on one side of it and the door opened, earning him a questioning look from Poe.

 

“When did you…” he began asking, but he knew when questions were not called for. Just as they went in, a dingy medical droid came to them and mutely led them into a small room, which was barely illuminated, but the medical machines looked way better than the rest of the place. The droid led Finn to lay Rey on the examining table, they rid her of the rest of the armor, leaving her only in the black monosuit. In an instant a smaller droid came to life and began hovering around Rey, scanning her all over. Once they finished, they began attaching small prods to her limbs and head.

 

“What’s going on, what are they doing?!” yelled Finn, already desperate the droid that had led them there began emitting various beeps and boops, just like BB-8

“It’s saying that… she’s poisoned… that they don’t know the source but… that they can stabilize her… for proper treatment” said Poe, at the last part he sounded confused… More beeps and boops came and Poe remained quiet, deciphering the sounds.

“What?!” said Finn, already at his wits end. Poe looked up, looking desolate.

“They can’t really cure her, they can only… hold off the poison…”

 

_____ . _____

 

It is said that when a man is set out to do something, he’s able to do it regardless of anything, and this was also Kylo’s case, who had managed to find the stationed freight in a clandestine landing spot. Various individuals tried to face him but he merely froze them where they were. He didn’t need to question anyone, he merely did some digging through their minds and found what he needed, the task took its toll on him, but he would deal with that later, right now he had a mission to fulfill.

 

It wasn’t just intel taken by force or some vague directions from a dumbfounded guard, like a hound, he’d been following the faint Force signature from Rey, but it was so dim that it was like trying to grasp smoke, and what seemed to be a quick sweep turned out to be a two hour search. He was barely closing in and he was already going for the third hour, anxiety and panic steadily growing inside him, the fact that he could still perceive her was what kept him going. And this was only possible, he assumed, to the fact that she had remained planetbound.

 

Upon completing exactly three hours of his search, he felt her signature grow stronger, he quickly landed the speeder and got out to explore, standing silently like a monolith, he reached out, listening, feeling the Force around him, looking for her.

It was the weakest signal of them all, almost disappearing like a thread in the ocean but she was there alright. Like following a broken compass he continued his path on foot and quickly found himself in front of a rusted metal door, he looked for a lock or something and found a card reader. For some seconds he considered the possible consequences of just breaking the door, but if he had learned anything from the life of Han Solo, it was that in places like this, doors where just for show, and so, with the help from the Force he pulled the door from its rail and slid it away. He continued his path.

The corridors were lit with yellowish lights that made the place eerie at that time of night. She was closer now and… with company... with...the traitor, the pilot and with... He grimaced and continued his way.

 

After a few lefts and rights, he finally found the room she was in. There she was, breathing with pain and unconscious, next to her was the traitor half asleep, but the door startled him and he stood up immediately. As their eyes met, his eyes filled with fear and rage.

 

“YOU! COME TO FINISH TH-” Kylo damned himself for not being faster, he paralyzed him and held him where he stood.

“You will be quiet and tell me what has happened to her”  Finn's eyes became absent and droned his answer.

“She was poisoned, we don't know what it is, she will not make it through the night, I didn’t want her to die alone”  he said, his voice emotionless.

“You will sleep and wake with no memories of this” he said and almost instantly, Finn fell asleep, slumped on the chair he had been.

 

With his heart racing Kylo approached her, and skipped a beat when he caught a glimpse of her now frail body. She looked sickly pale with a tinge of purple to her usual tanned skin, which was also plagued with black spider-like veins. She was sweating and was obviously unconscious because of the painkillers. It took only the sight of her to make him realize, his world was slowly crumbling under his feet, trying to grasp onto the painful realization that he was responsible for the current state of the only woman that had apparently meant something to him.

 

He found the line that was feeding the painkillers into her blood, and applied the antidote to it. It slowly started dripping, almost mocking him. The spider-like veins began slowly disappearing, but her breathing was too. Had he arrived too late?, it wouldn't be enough at this point, he placed his hand over Rey’s abdomen and felt how life was escaping her.

 Panic was now amuk within him, the antidote was useless now, she would die, she would die because of him. But then, just like the glimmer of light that she was, an idea came to him. He hadn’t really learned much of it, let alone master it, but he had to try. He would use the Force to heal her.

He took his gloves off and leaned closer to her, and almost afraid to harm her more he placed his trembling hands on her abdomen and forehead, her skin cold to the touch. It was now or never.

 He had learnt healing with the Force while training to be a jedi, but had long forgotten the sensation of it; he closed his eyes and began to meditate and focus on Rey, their bond making the process easier. To heal as a darksider, it required the user to pull from the life force of other beings, normally to only heal oneself and at the cost of the others lives. Yet the light side pulled the energy from within the user, requiring less energy to heal, however, it left the healer defenseless for a while, a risk he was well aware of. He had always felt the pull from the light, but this was the first time in about ten years that he actually let it in.

 

_____ . _____

 

Something awoke Rey, she didn't know what, but she she shot up, heaving at the sudden surprise.

 

Then the memories came rushing in: the escape, the fight with Hux, then the medical gun… he had given her something, she managed to escape, but then… it was darkness and pain. Rey looked around, but the room was dark and only slightly illuminated by the machines, she decided to stand and maneuvered her hand to the edge of the bed when she felt it. Hair.

She flinched and didn't dare to look, she passed her fingertips over it and felt the soft curls… was it…?

 

She looked down and saw the sleeping face of Kylo Ren on her lap, looking pale and exhausted. Her heart began to race. What was happening?

 

She didn’t have time to process it though, since he began to stir and groan, feeling sore all over, he finally moved and lifted himself from her lap wincing from the pain, he grimaced. And their eyes met. Both looked at each other with surprise, none expecting the other to be awake or there at all, she opened her mouth to yell, but a quick tug from the Force stopped her, so her mouth merely parted a little, letting out a small gasp.

 

She couldn't speak, her eyes fixed on his, wide open with surprise.

He quietly stared, with the surprise gone, his face settled into the usual expression Rey already knew, the dim light showing the dark circles under his eyes. Then he moved and she flinched, but his hand slowly crept up to her face in a tender gesture, and the strangest of things happened: a small smile appeared in his face, a sad smile.

 

After the initial surprise dissipated, she let herself relish on the almost reassuring sensation of his hand on her face, she sighed and wanted to close her eyes.

But just as she began enjoying the contact, he slowly took his hand away and placed it on her temple and in an instant, Rey fell asleep once more. Exhausted from today’s ordeal, he straightened his back, his huge frame even more imposing when standing, and left without a word, leaving Rey in the comfort of her dreams.

Kylo couldn’t help to think that this was the first he’d actually touched her like that, and how he yearned to do it again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Keep tuned!! Next update will come in a week or two... or three....


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things settle once more in the Resistance. A little bit of Rey, Finn, Poe and drama.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This has been a rollercoaster! Writing this fic has been so fun and now I bring you an update and let me tell you something... smut is approaching! We've kept it slow but things will start to become a little bit more... tense. 
> 
> Please enjoy!

When Rey woke up again, it was still dark yet the dim light of the twilight pushed through the vents of the room. Memories came rushing once more: the mission, the prisoners, Hux and whatever he did to her, the escape and then black… She began undoing the black undersuit and checking herself, the puncture mark was still present and bruised with no other symptoms to account for aside from her sore side and a bruise on her face, she was perfectly fine. Only now there was a new addition to all of this… she could remember Be— no, Kylo, she could remember Kylo, but her memory felt disjointed and off. The memory felt random and dreamlike and she placed her hand on her cheek looking for a familiar sensation, that after some thought, she shrugged it off as a daydream.

 

The room was dark and chilly, with no one around, she guessed it was probably nighttime. She slowly accommodated herself on the edge of the bed with her legs barely responding, it was not an easy task. She then held herself with all her strength and she slid down from the bed to the cold floor. And quickly realized that she had underestimated the state of her body and collapsed to the floor, pulling with her some of the sensors that were attached to her and at the same time, the machines hooked up to them, causing the quiet to be broken by the loud crashing of the equipment. Just then Finn woke up, startled, and pointed his blaster to the door only to find it empty. Rey called out to him, making him flinch and quickly turn around.

 

“Rey!! Oh gods, you’re awake! How is it possible?! You were… dying” he said, he knelt down to hug her, full of joy and excitement only to finish his sentence confused.

 

“Where are the others Finn, what happened? What happened… to me?” she questioned, but Finn gave her the same confused look.

 

“It’s… It’s a long story Rey, but first of all, we need to assure that you’re fine. Just a few hours ago we thought we were gonna lose you…”he said, and the he helped her up and sat her again on the table, then he pressed a button on the side of the bed, which lit red. Consecutively, the old GH-7 droid came into the room and began a full check up on Rey, who merely stared at the little machine go at it. In the midst of all, Finn left the room and shortly came back in Lando’s and Poe’s company, who were just as amazed as Finn initially was.

 

Before they even had a chance to start making questions too, the droid began beeping and a small card was printed out from it’s chest, it’s mechanical voice confirmed what they were wondering.

 

“No toxins detected” said the robot, leaving everyone wide eyed and confused. Poe took the little card from the robot’s chest and read it various times, trying to make sense of it.

“It says… her system is clear, she’s good” said Poe, and looked up to see Rey who was wearing the same puzzled look as everyone, wondering if her dream had been just that or if it had been something else, and before more questions were asked, Lando interrupted.

 

“In that case, there’s nothing else for us to do here, Rose is hiding the prisoners god knows where and we need to move out before they become compromised” he said, everyone agreed and they began preparing things to head out and meet the others. Rey was still weak so it was with Finn’s help that she managed to put on another set of clothes. Once everyone was ready, Lando sent a message to Rose to meet at the agreed rendez-vous point in less than an hour. “I’ve arranged our way out, but we must hurry or we’ll lose our window of opportunity.”

 

Shortly after, Lando received an answer from Rose, she was about to arrive to the meeting point, so they began to head out. Outside the clinic it was still a bit dark with some rays of sunlight beginning to illuminate the rooftops of the houses, there was already movement from the merchants opening up their establishments and customers already looking for wares. Lando headed out first, then Finn and Rey, who was doing everything possible to walk as normally as possible, and close behind them came Poe, walking with quick steps, nervous of being identified. Once inside the small ship, they began getting ready, Lando went back to get some rations while Poe began getting the ship ready to fly.

 

With everyone busy, Rey had a brief moment to herself and began to wonder about her strange dream, it felt so real… but why? Just then, she perceived a shift in the Force, like something or more like... someone, was calling for her. She began looking around and felt his presence, clear as day, and slowly stood up and made way to the ramp of the ship, where was he? She peeked through the door and looked around, unable to see anyone amongst the sea of people that was already forming, yet the Force continued pickling around her, pulling her.

 

She then felt it, straight ahead just a few meters away, there was a tall dark figure amongst the multitude staring right back at her, unmoving. Then a single thought crossed her mind: It had been him.

 

She stood frozen at the door of the ship, processing what was happening. He kept his eyes fixed on her until the door closed.

Still entranced, Rey flinched when Chewie called her. She turned to see him and answered his question. “I’m fine now” she said. She turned around to see through the window once more, only to find that he had already vanished.

 

Later, they picked up Rose and the prisoners, who were already looking a bit better and wearing some of the clothes they had used before for the mission. When Rose boarded the ship, Finn helped her in and she complied though she didn’t smile or look at him.

 

With everything in order, they made way out of Coruscant. Poe sent a message to C’ai who was waiting by one of its moons. As soon as they were out of range, Poe moved back into his X-wing and sent out a message to the Resistance.

“Base, this is Black Leader, reporting back” he said with his usual cocky manner. Immediately he got a response.

 

“Black Leader, what your status?” came back Connix's voice that sounded really worried compared to her usual professionalism. Poe took a moment to answer, to give it a dramatic flair.

“We’re already heading back, everyone made it in one piece” he said and then added “Oh, and make sure to prepare rooms for two more” he finished. Connix answered back, and in the background you could hear the joyful cheers of the team.

 

“Glad to hear Black Leader, we’ll make sure the rooms are ready”, and with that they cut communications.

“Ok boys, time to head back. Lando, on your mark, we hit hyperspace” he said. And so they did.

 

_____ . _____

 

Soon after, they were already landing back in Dantooine and were received by the medical aid of the base, who took both injured men to the medical ward.

Finn took Rey by her arm and lead her down the ramp, where Leia waited and was immediately alarmed by her poor physical state.

 

“By the Force Rey, what happened?” she said while rushing to her side.

“It’s a long story” said Finn, finally letting out an exhausted sigh, Rey couldn't help chuckling and they made their way to the base.

 

When Rey sat down once more, she slumped and groaned at the pain of her sore muscles, which were a little better, only not enough yet. She would have to steer clear off training for a while. She was sitting alone in one of the meeting rooms of the base, Leia had to speak first to Lando and Finn, so she asked her to wait for a few minutes before they came back, and so she did.

 

She was wondering about all the meetings that had happened here long before she had been born, all the heated arguments and every strategy that generals had come up with right at this room—

 

Leia’s voice came from behind and startled her “Rey, I’m sorry I made you wait, but I really needed to talk to them” she said, with a worried look while she walked to sit with her.

 

“Don’t worry” she said “I was getting patched up before so I just waited a little” she said, absentmindedly, Leia smiled and asked about her well being.

“I feel a lot better, I really don’t know what happened” she said, furrowing her brows trying to remember the last events before she blacked out.

“Finn told me you were poisoned” said Leia,  evidently concerned “Was it…?” She said, lingering a little, unable to say a name they both knew very well.

“I… No!, it was Hux. He caught me off guard and injected me some sort of substance… I remember that I managed to escape and then everything after that is… black” she said, while squinting her eyes, like trying to see through the hazy fog of her memories from that day.

 "Then how did you… heal?, they told me they thought you were going to die!” exclaimed Leia. Rey merely shrugged.

“I really don’t know… I-” she said, and then remembered Kylo’s heavy gaze on her earlier that day, along with the hazy memory of his hand on her cheek. _Had **that** been her imagination? _ She quickly added “I- I can't really remember anything” she said, nervously fidgeting.

 

Leia saw her hesitation and knew all too well what this was all about, she was unsure of the nature of it but she let it pass and merely answered with support.

 

“A miracle is always more than welcome, so we’re not about to question it” she finally said, making Rey feel a little relieved. Even though she could rely on Leia, she wasn’t ready to tell what had really happened — or at least what she thought had happened _—_ it was too intimate and confusing to explain. It was too much to deal with as it was.

 

They kept talking about other things regarding the base and it’s activities during their absence, that had been of about three days. People had made questions, wondering where they were, nevertheless Leia had handled it herself and everything went unnoticed. In turn it made Rey wonder if she was really that essential to the Resistance, she was about to comment on it when their conversation was cut short when Poe barged in.

 

“Leia, I’m sorry but I had to tell you, both men have decided to leave to Velmor as soon as possible, I insisted that they are in no condition… I don't think changing their mind is an option” he said hurriedly. Leia frowned and began thinking, lightly covering her mouth with her hand.

 “Let them, we have already gained their favor by saving them, we must show them that we are allies willing to help in any way” she said, still thinking about something. Poe was about to reply, but she lifted her hand and nodded sideways. “Tell them that if they wish to risk their lives in such a way, so be it, we will help in any way possible, however they’re more than welcome to stay” Poe nodded and was about to leave when Leia stopped him.

 “Poe… Please look for me this evening. There is something I must discuss with you” she calmly said, her tone implied she was referring to something important, though Rey preferred to stay out of what didn’t concern her. Poe nodded and left them alone once more.

 

“Why do they want to leave so soon? They're safe here” Rey said, picking up the topic, Leia gave her and understanding look.

 “Because they need to get back to their people, as part of the democratic counsel of Velmor, they play an important role in the decisions for their people” she answered. And just then it struck Rey that she put her life on the line for two persons she had no idea who they were. Leia caught her attention once more and gave her a solemn warning.

 “Rey… I believe it would be unwise to keep using your bond with Ben to the benefit of the Resistance” she said, and just as Rey was about to protest, Leia continued “Yes, it was crucial to this rescue but at what cost? Not only of your life Rey… also of the trust. Sometimes to foster trust is better than getting information” said Leia with a wise air about her, leaving Rey to reconsider things. She hugged her knees to her chest and wondered about what had happened with… Ben— on it’s own, her hand moved to touch her cheek once more and just then was Rey realizing how much she had missed him.

 

_____ . _____

 

Things had already settled down after a week, Leia had been  especially keen in locking an alliance with the counselors of Velmor— they were interested yet wary. Rey was now feeling a lot better and was already taking small leaves from the base to go and train to her little spot. She loved training with her saberstaff and leaving it behind made her feel handicapped— she had tried to complain, but her identity would have been discovered much more easily if she bore it during the mission— and now that she had it back in her hands she felt complete. She swung it around for a while and stopped as she began to break a sweat, she wanted to look presentable for Finn since he had asked her if they could meet soon. She sat under the tree’s large shadow and crossed her legs to meditate while she waited, it had been a while since she’d done it so it was already due. She began reaching out, feeling the Force that surrounded the base, the temple far in the forest, her friends, herself and —

 

He eyes opened in surprise, gasping at the turmoil that she had hidden within herself, trying to ignore it after returning. At the first chance she had, she'd gone to the temple and what happened just now had been ten times worse there, leaving her feeling sick for two days. She couldn't understand her emotions and even less deal with them. It was a conundrum, however, she was saved the trouble of dealing with her emotions.

 

Finn’s voice called out to her and she turned around to greet him, she was truly happy to see him since it had been a while since the last time they actually had a calm conversation.

“So this is the spot huh?” he asked, Rey smiled and nodded, she had told Finn about her secret spot a while ago although she had not been able to show him around. “I have to say I’m impressed, I thought you would’ve found like a workshop or something” he commented, which earned him a giggle and a light push from Rey, and Finn followed. They both sat down again and Rey went straight to the point.

“So… what was it that you wanted to talk about” she asked and Finn’s instantly face became one of worry. He usually would speak to her immediately, but then again, there hadn’t been much time for anything.

“It’s just that… I’ve so much in my mind lately that I don’t even know where to start…” he said while scratching his head in frustration. Rey knew how he felt now that she was going through something similar, so she held out her hand to him in reassurance and he took it. He took a deep breath and began.

 

At first, Finn stammered and paused, nervous of what he was about to say, as he went on Rey remained unfazed and he started talking with more ease. He told her about his most recent reunions with Rose and how they had gone, that despite all the time they had spent together, having fun, talking and… enjoying each other’s company… it was as if something was amiss, it just felt… stale. Then he began talking about Poe and it was a completely different story, his eyes lit up and talked about everything that Poe was teaching him about ships and how he would ask him to show him the training he received back at the academy. And in one of those occasions Poe had made him an offer.

 

“So… what are you going to do about Rose?, you can’t go as if everything is fine. if any, it’ll just make it worse!” asked Rey, she was trying to organize all the information that Finn had dropped on her and tried to attend them in order of mention.

“Well, with Poe’s offer, I might not even have to think about it, I’ll just be busy all the time” said Finn in a desperate tone, if things were so simple, Rey would’ve solved her own problems ages ago.

“You know you can’t do that Finn. If things don’t feel right, then you should tell her!”

“How, Rey?  I’ve never dealt with something like this before. I thought she was “the one” but now I just feel like I made everything up!” he yelled, frustrated at his situation. Unable to offer more advice than that, Rey prefered to change the topic.

“So… what was it that you wanted to talk about” she asked and Finn’s instantly face became one of worry. He usually would speak to her immediately, but then again, there hadn’t been much time for anything.

“Well he didn't exactly say, only that he wanted me to be part of a team— something about Leia having some news. I guess we’ll be hearing about it any time soon…” said Finn absentmindedly, snapping Rey from her train of thought. Her attention was really off these days.

 

They kept on talking throughout the evening until it got dark and Rey had to light up her saberstaff to illuminate their path back to the base. After listening to Finn, it felt like her own problem was a simple one— to merely ignore and shut off Kylo Ren—  though there was something holding her back, something that made her chest ache every time she thought about it.

Maybe sometime soon she would ask Finn for advice just as he had done with her…But while it involved Kylo Ren, she would have to leave it out or figure out a way to break the news.

 

_____ . _____

 

Rey was chuckling alongside Finn while walking down the corridor, that same morning everyone received a memo to reunite at the main strategics room that was east from the communications bay to hear an important announcement form General Leia, it amused her how convenient her conversation with Finn had been.

Everyone finished breakfast and made way to the room, that became full with people immediately. The chatter was loud and everyone was looking around every now and then, trying to figure out what was all of this about, Rey herself was curious to solve the mystery behind Poe’s proposal to Finn.

After a ten minute wait Leia finally entered the room, accompanied by Poe and Lando on each of her sides, as she positioned herself at the far end of the table, everyone went quiet to listen to what she had to say. She looked around with a smile, then her face changed to the one she bore as a general and began.

 

“When I fought for the rebellion, I did it with the hope of a better future for the next generations. And now that I see those generations that I fought for are now fighting too… I can’t help to be saddened by this. I am grateful with all of you who have dedicated your lives for the cause of the Resistance and to those who gave theirs for it” she paused for a little to observe the faces of the people present, smiling sadly at the loss of the ones that were gone.

 

“However time is unforgiving and moves on— I once had the energy and push to battle just like you do, but lately I feel that it’s already my due time. It is no longer the movement that I began years ago, it is no longer mine to claim but yours, because it’s you who breathe life to this organization. And so, this is how I leave the command of this group and hand it over to a man who has shown us that a leader is made by his followers” she extended her hand towards Poe, who sheepishly walked forward, the room erupted into cheers and clapping, even whistling while he moved to stand next to Leia. “Poe Dameron has proven his worth over and over and has made himself crucial to this cause, I hope you find him fitting as I do” she said, making Poe’s ears tinge a light red at the tips “And now, a few words from our new General” she signaled him to move forward.

 

“When the General approached me and told me that she wanted to consider me to become general… I, I was flabbergasted, I have made so many mistakes and I have never been the best leader… But I couldn’t say no, It has always been my dream to fight alongside the Resistance and its such an honor to do it as a General. Rest assured that I will always do what it’s best for the Resistance and its people, we will find peace and bring the First Order to and end!!” and with the end of his speech he brought his fist to the air and everyone mimiked him and cheered with him. People began to stand up to approach them and shower him with congratulations, hugs and handshakes, yet all the time he remained humble and he directed them towards Leia, giving her the credit of carrying the torch of the Resistance for so long.

 

However, it was something that had long been passing from mouth-to-mouth in rumors, what would happen when Leia was gone? Who would be the best candidate? Poe had already been here longer than everyone else. It was today that all those doubts were answered.

 

Out of the multitude came Finn to congratulate him.  “So this was your well kept secret? Do I even want to know what I signed up for?” joked Finn while giving him a loud and brotherly hug, Poe laughed and followed along.

 

“Well you’re part of another suicide mission, I’ll give you the details when we go” he said while holding back a chuckle and giving Finn a mischievous smile, Finn laughed and couldn’t help relishing in the sight of a lighthearted Dameron rather than the gloomy isolated one from the past months. They chattered for a while until then the spell broke when Finn caught sight of Rose, who was talking with Rey, and didn’t look very happy, promptly changing his own mood which Poe caught a glance of.

 “What’s wrong, buddy?” asked Poe in a concerned tone, one that he used all too often around Finn, who simply sighed and slumped his shoulders.

 “Things… haven’t been going very well between me and Rose— I don’t know what to do” said Finn with a sudden gloomy mood, yet Poe had to muster all his willpower to not let out a broad smile at the news. He looked down and coughed trying to gain some ground, thankfully there was still a lot of people and it made it difficult for Finn to notice.

 

Poe looked up and gave his best ‘Im sorry’ face “I don’t know what to say—” was all he could think of because in no way was he going to give him the ‘everything’ll work out speech’. No, he wasn’t about to.

 “Thanks man” Finn said. He gave Poe another hug that lasted a little more than necesarry but Poe wasn’t about to complain. He patted Finn’s back and saw him go towards Rose, who at the same time broke off her conversation with Rey to follow Finn. Poe saw Rey's gaze lingered on the couple and then turned to him, giving Poe a suspicious look and making him blush, feeling like he’d been caught red handed, though it could’ve been his imagination because Rey smiled at him and left.

 

Had that been a close call?

 

_____ . _____

 

Another week went by and the Resistance was already adapting to Poe’s new lead. He had proven his worth in no time as he showed everyone that he’d outgrown his rash and intrepid self to impress everyone with his great strategics. Even though Leia had stepped down from the main lead, she was still working alongside Poe as an advisor

 

His first move was to call out to anyone who would give support to the Resistance, he deemed it necessary to assemble as fast as possible a line of defense and backup in order to reinforce the already weakened defense lines. Part of his master plan was to become strong enough to attack the First Order’s base in Coruscant and hinder its infrastructure. It was not a battle to win, it was a battle to expose and weaken their forces. With Finn as an advisor, he could get a clear idea of how to approach the First Order, as Finn knew how they worked as a society and that was key to predicting their possible reactions to an attack.

 

In those following days, Poe observed how Finn and Rose worked things about and apparently it wasn't going very well. The distance between them had increased and Finn spent more time working with him —not that he minded— yet he couldn't help feeling guilty from enjoying his company at the expense of Rose. He remembered when he would stare at them and imagine what they would do after the war… leave and marry? Have children? Grow old together? In some way he liked to picture this, to imagine what the future held for his friends though little by little when his mind wandered like that, the image of Rose began vanishing and instead pictured Finn… with him. He'd discovered himself yearning for company before and he'd just shrug it off and go on with his life. But now...

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And?! Did you enjoy? This chapter was a little rest from everything that happened in chapter 9 and 10, but now we're moving on to the 2nd arc of this fic. There will be more drama for Finn and Poe in the next ones and obviously, for Rey and Ben too !!
> 
> Feedback is love <3


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things get tense at the First Order

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We are on fire!!! Things haven't been all that great with me, but this fics helps me get focused and oway from bad emotions... Also, Mr.Mancuspia (in honor of my Tumblr user MrsMancuspia) has been helping out a lot as a beta reader/editor so this second arc has been going a lot faster than the first... and yes we are doing it by "arcs". I appreciate your comments a lot even it it's small, they just make me keep going :)
> 
> As you will soon see, things are getting a lot more difficult (a.k.a. interesting) in this arc. Kylo has to question things and wonder even if he doesn't want to :/.

A week had already passed since the breach at the First Order’s base, and even if there hadn’t been any kind of damage to the infrastructure or the personnel or to the base— aside form Hux of course… It had brought the organization to go on a panic frenzy, the officers were thoroughly worried that their heads were on the line, stories about Darth Vader killing officers still flew around to this day. Security was tightened, no ship entered before being inspected on the dreadnaught that was now positioned on the main hyperplane exit to the planet, entrance and departure of ships, both civilian and commercial, and a new update to the system’s security mainframe had been installed. It was clear that the First Order wasn’t hiding anymore and with all of that going on, Kylo was yet to be seen— he had buried himself in the abandoned libraries of the palace, since Hux had barely bothered himself with its refurbishing, there was little to no security around that area. So his time was spent unbothered, away from everything, specially from Hux and his Knights, all to keen in knowing what had happened during the infiltration of the resistance.

 

Both Kylo’s eating and hygiene habits had experienced a terrible decline since his entrance to the library, he’d barely ate and had only showered once, his usual wavy hair was now straight and greasy, his eyes bore heavy dark circles from the lack of sleep. Although, much to his relief, the bond had not opened once since last week’s events, he wasn't very keen on being seen in his current state and most importantly he had no idea what would he say after Rey had seen him just when she was leaving, the reason behind his actions came from a place even he didn't understand — maybe the Force was finally done playing games with them.

 

However there was still the need of leading the Order, everyone was eager to hear from him after the breach and he was equally eager to stay away, so he’d set Dalmar Ren —Maro was still out to get him — to answer for him, so every question or request that was sent to him, Dalmar answered. The knight was less than happy to help, but never questioned his reasons.Only they knew where he had been burrowing himself yet the only thing that Kylo never let anyone on was his purpose there.

 

For the past week he had been looking for more information on the strange messages involving Darth Sidious and anything beyond his current knowledge on Force bonds. The last video made reference to a base of sorts in Jakku, he cross referenced the little information he could make from them with the available information there was on Jakku, as he dug deeper and deeper he stumbled upon maps and scraps of blueprints, all under the name of ‘Project Yles’, he connected a memory drive to the computer and began downloading all the information regarding such project, what he hoped would be a fast job turned out to be eternal, so he switched tasks.

 

The topic concerning the bond had been in his mind for awhile now, he had reminded himself to investigate about it more than once but it was until last week's events that made him finally realise that this was of utmost urgency and therefore, everything else could wait.

 

During his research, he’d found out to what extent had the old jedi texts been erased —leaving only information that would aid in their defeat— but nevertheless he was able to find scraps of information and ancient texts that spoke about Jedi that turned to the dark side or of their defeat by Siths.

 

But what struck him the most was the old story about Darth Revan and Lady Bastilla Shan, the holovids and texts that were available spoke mostly about Darth Revan, a vicious warrior who had fallen from the Jedi Order and became one of the most ruthless siths in history. The texts revered in his actions as a sith, how he had fought the Mandalorian Wars and won with the help of dark side practices, thus confirming the advantage of the dark force over the light. And so every book said about the same, and it went on for about six more, until the 8th, were they made mention of Bastilla Shan a Jedi who had saved Darth Revan during a war by keeping him alive through the Force, it was an old technique that carried a heavy risk to both ends, it read:

                                                                                          

When Kylo stumbled upon those words, his eyes went wide and he reread the part again and again, it was the first piece of information, other than what he already knew, that gave him hope of knowing that there was a registry of something similar ever happening before: a dark user and a light user connected by the Force. With renewed intent he then went on to find more about the bond or connection it spoke about: the text defined it as a ‘merging of the minds’, that could be superficial or something as to connect the souls too, how it varied and usually presented itself among force sensitives, be it family, master and apprentice or lovers—

 

Lovers.

 

He froze at the word and it rang in his mind like a broken record, staring at it dumbfounded. He snapped and urgently left the text to return to the holovid that he’d dropped earlier since it was a historical retelling of events, he fumbled with the pile of things around him until he found it and connected it to the projector, it began playing and he fast-forwarded it to the part he was looking for. Images of Revan and Bastilla began appearing and he stopped it, it played:

 

 

 

> _“... and as an experiment, they decided to erase his memory and attempted to bring him back to the light, using the connection he now shared with Bastilla Shan. He was trained once more in the ways of the jedi and later was able to regain his Jedi title, years to come he would marry Bastilla Shan who…”_
> 
>  

He paused the holovid and it froze on a picture of a married couple, standing next to each other in a formal manner. By the sound of it, it was probably one of the few remaining pieces of Jedi texts— So what did this mean for him? For them? What did it mean for the bond he shared with Rey? How far were they connected, was it just their minds or—? The bond had already shown signs of getting stronger, they could touch and faintly hear surroundings, she even caught a glimpse of his knights— What did it all mean? They had begun sharing dreams and—

He let out a frustrated groan and slumped on the chair. This had only given him more questions than answers, even though he had fresh and new information, everything felt very vague and disjointed. What was going to happen?

 

“Kylo, where are you?!” came a ragged mechanical voice, echoing through the library. Kylo jolted at the sudden noise and quietly grumbled at the interruption, he held his head in his hands hoping the voice wouldn't call him again, but it did.

 

“This is futile Kylo, this time you cannot ask Delmar to cover for you” said the voice, and it was right. He considered escaping for a brief moment before letting out another long resigned sigh and decided to stand up, just then did he realize how sore his back and waist were. He pulled out the memory drive and came out of his hideout to find out it was Bjartur Ren who was looking for him. He’d shed his usual attire and was only wearing black trousers and a gray robe, his helmet included that didn’t make him uneasy — unlike Maro’s — .

 

“We’ve been looking for you Master” said Bjartur, with a hint of annoyance.

 

“So you call me Master when it’s convenient?” said Kylo, taunting his Knight’s tone.

 

“Only because you make yourself scarce when it’s convenient” he answered back, Kylo didn’t like it when he got cocky like that, but he had indeed gone AWOL for at least a week, but he was thankful that it was one of his knights berating him and not Hux. After what had happened during the breach, he’d avoided him at all costs, afraid that he would kill Hux on sight. He knew that he was looking for him, he knew everyone was gossiping at his sudden disappearance after the breach, but he couldn’t care less now, he’d neglected the need to control the bond that it spun out of control in a way… he’d never anticipated.

 

“Let’s go, the others await us” said Bjartur in an imperative tone yet again, cutting of his train of thought. _The other’s?_ Thought Kylo, but he wasn’t in the mood to make conversation, so he let his knight guide him.

 

When the doors to the training rooms opened, Kylo knew what Bjartur was talking about. Sitting in a circle were all the other knights dressed in their training robes without their helmets, and if they weren’t wearing them then it meant this was serious, the thought made Kylo mentally cringe.  

A devaronian woman with reddish brown skin gave him a judging look and called him “What are you waiting for Master Kylo?” said she, taunting him. Her yellow eyes penetrating his very soul.

 

“Well, Delmar, you can’t expect me to just walk in when you’re all so quiet. It can make one suspicious” answered Kylo, pretending to be offended. He didn’t know what this was about, but he didn’t really like it.

 

“Aren’t we the ones who should be suspicious” interjected Maro with his deep purple eyes glaring at him, angerless, but just as menacing. _So that’s what this was_ thought Kylo, who held his stare and making the tension grow in the room, the others watched with amusement and some with anger, Kylo could sense this and in the end had no other option but to comply, he had indeed been acting suspicious and he knew it wouldn’t take long for his knights to figure it out. They were, after all, his most trusted allies.

 

Begrudgingly, Kylo dropped his cape to the floor and sat at the middle of the circle and closed his eyes, he didn’t know what was in store for him but he might as well get over it soon, he was afraid of what his knights would find, but it was even worse to think he could hide it any longer, the connection that he shared with them was completely different than the one he had with Rey but it was equally strong.

 

“You have been hiding something from us” said Kayukk first, he was a mandalorian with a classical stern look. “We’ve known for a while, and our suspicions grew after we executed the prisoner” he finished.

 

“That day we heard someone and you realised that. That was why you sent us away, didn’t you?” said Dalmar in a calm voice “And your reaction was equally suspicious but we decided to let it pass” she continued, her voice tinged with disappointment.

 

“I don’t have to explain everything to you… I will only admit this has gotten... out of control” he finally admitted yet choosing his words carefully, he knew not to push it more even though he had his knights’ trust.

 

“Then show us, Master Kylo” said Arnar— a zabrak with orange tinged skin and face tattoos— his deep hoarse voice startled Kylo and elicited everyone to look at him intently, waiting for his response. He considered his next move carefully: if he didn’t tell them it would further strain his relationship with his knights, prompting a treason and if he did tell them… all of the above could happen too. He let out a deep sigh and decided on the latter, getting to the conclusion that it would happen one way or another, he nodded and signaled them to begin.

 

They sat down in the circle again and this time Kylo was in the middle of it, he closed his eyes and so did everyone, pulling at the old connection that they had forged after years and years of companionship and endurance. He focused on his memories and emotions, trying to transmit what he'd felt and letting it slip through the connection yet holding the what… exposed him the most. And so they pried and they saw: the firsts connections with Rey, their arguments, the nightmares, the fight in the throne room— And just like he was sharing his mind with the others, he could feel their emotions filtering through the same connection: animosity, confusion, betrayal, curiosity, fear —

 

Kylo’s throat closed and his eyes shot open, his own hand flew to his throat trying to stop the invisible hand that was tightly holding it. His eyes darted and found that it was Takkik who was doing it, with anger flaring in her gray eyes, her usually calm demeanor transfigured into a vicious grimace of rage. Panicked by the sudden action, he flailed helplessly for a few seconds before overpowering her grip on him and blasted her backwards. She was breathing furiously and the rest were barely reacting to what had transpired, it all went down so fast. Takkik was heaving, her breathing ragged and growling under her breath.

 

“You’re betraying us for the JEDI?! After EVERYTHING we have done for the house of Ren!?” she screamed, full of anger, gripping the Force with all her might, she was ready to jump to Kylo—

 

Maro’s hand came forward and stopped Takkik dead on her tracks, she stared up at him with a murderous glare however everyone, even her, knew better than to mess with Maro Ren.

 

“Have you learnt nothing Takkik? We have sworn loyalty to the house of Ren. A Life oath to our Master and you get rattled by this?!” Everyone went quiet and Takkik’s outburst seemed more like a tantrum now. Maro turned around to face Kylo, letting go of his hold on the Force, and Takkik gasped as the pressure was lifted. “What do you intend to do with this connection? I can see that severing it is not an option…” he pried.

 

Kylo looked at Maro and the rest, their eyes said many things but the one that resonated the most was confusion. He pinched his brow in a tired manner and sighed. “I don’t know Maro… I have been trying to figure out… all of this” he said, gesturing everything. Then Dalmar intervened.

 

“Can we trust your allegiance to the house of Ren” she said, specifically saying the name of Ren rather than the First Order. Kylo didn’t even falter and nodded. And like a heavy shroud had been lifted, the air felt lighter and everyone's demeanor changed, times like this reminded Kylo that loyalty within his knights was something that should never be meddled with.

 

_____ . _____

 

After the long session with his knights,  Kylo only wanted to rest and think things through, so much had happened and he needed time to let everything sink in. However, there was still much more in store for him, because as he was turning around the corner to his quarters, the face of the maggot appeared.

 

Hux’s scowl came into Kylo’s sight, both evidently displeased with the other’s presence but Hux kept his pace and gave him an enraged look. Unable to stop the encounter Kylo kept on and placed his thumb on the hilt of his lightsaber.

 

“What do you think you are doing Kylo?” said Hux with a menacing voice,nasty bruises spread on his pasty white face, which gained color with every word he said “You attack me and pry through my mind, you let the scavenger ESCAPE and then you ‘disappear’. More and more you show your lack of ability to be Supreme Leader—?!” he said, way past his the condescending ‘Supreme Leader’ tactic. By the end of the sentence he was enraged, his ears and cheeks red with anger and his mouth deformed into a nasty disgusted grimace, and only stopped when Kylo took a step closer to him, his resolve slightly faltering. Hux may despise him and belittle him but he still feared him nonetheless.

 

“Must I constantly remind you who am I Hux? You don’t hold as much power as you think you do, but I’ll let you onto something” he said while baring his teeth, getting closer to Hux and said in a quiet whisper “You can’t even fathom what you’re looking at” he said. He straightened up and continued. “Did you ever stop to think in her usefulness?, what a powerful weapon a fallen jedi can be?” he said and Hux’s face twisted with confusion “No? Then it doesn’t surprise me, it was already obvious that it was too much for you to understand—” but his speech was cut mid sentence as he felt the Force humming, and there she was sitting with her hands on her temples. A part of him sighed in relief upon the sight of her healthy appearance. _It was worth it_ he thought.

 

Completely distracted from Hux now, he hastily made way to his quarters, were he would have more privacy, she still hadn't noticed and the conversation with Hux was already dull, Rey had saved him from a sure death, unbeknown to him. Kylo walked away in silence, leaving Hux  gaping in bewilderment at what just had happened.

Once in his room, he finally spoke to her. “I see you're feeling better” He stated, her skin had regained it usual color, her hair was down in half a ponytail and she was wearing a simple white shirt with combat trousers, she spun around and looked in his direction and countered with a question.

 

“It’s all thanks to you— isn't it? She said, prying for information. He prefered to look away unable to answer that. She sighed exasperated and stood up from where she was. “Why did you even save me? She berated, her eyes angry.

 

He kept silent for a minute until he dared to answer “I couldn't just let you die like that” he meekly answered, and to be honest he didn't know what else to say.

 

“Why not? Wasn’t I your enemy? What sinister intentions do you have? Are you trying to recruit me out of compromise?” she continued, her tone was more demanding and she kept inching closer to him. She was making questions that not even he had been able to answer yet.  

 

“No… Rey… I” he stammered. To this day he was still trying to find out why he had saved her, what had pushed him to such extent. “You’re not just that, this is different, everything about you is different—” trying to stay calm, his temper trying to act up.

 

“But isn't everything black and white for you?” she insisted, slowly raising her voice and becoming more demanding , “it’s too complicated, I—” he insisted, now his teeth gritted, his patience was running very short.

 

“Why!? Why _Ben?_ Why is it complicated? _How_ am I different, if anything I'm just nobody!” she said, her voice raised and her tone angry and melancholic. And he just blew his top.

 

“NO!” He snapped “You matter to me!!, you're not just a nobody, you’re important to me!, and that's enough!!” He yelled, he was huffing and what he said sank in immediately after he finished. He hadn’t been this honest to anyone— not even to himself, it was a revelation in many ways. She was looking at him with wide eyes, surprised and anguished to hear his words, usually their connections ended in moments like this but an uncomfortable silence went on for two eternal minutes, Kylo could feel the tips of his ears turn red from his own self humiliation, he was even thinking about leaving (was it possible?) and just ignore this happened.

 

Rey stepped closer to him, “You… also matter to me” she admitted, and it turned out to be too much for Kylo, who snapped his head around to look at her and remained bewildered at the sudden news. She stepped closer, shrinking the distance between them and gently took his right hand in hers. They were so small, he thought.

 

She was staring at his hands, making his heart throb with need, the touch made him yearn for more, as if it was something he'd long lost.

 

“We need to control this Ben” she suddenly said and what he was feeling crashed and burned under his old anger. He managed to measure it, but answered bitterly.

 

“So you can give more information to your Resistance?” He spat, yet he didn't take his hand away from hers, he too weak to give up such precious contact. She looked away but she didn't let go either.

 

“It was wrong but I don't regret it, I was able to save those men from—” Rey went quiet, he knew what she was about to say and he couldn't deny it. But at this time he was uncertain if the First Order was something he wanted to be related to. He had admitted his resolve to Hux, yet his words had been lacking, the only loyalties he could vouch for were to his knights. But she shrugged it off and continued, looking up at him, with those eyes that made his heart falter.

 

“I would do anything for them Ben!” she said and paused a little, looking down, thinking her words. She looked up again, with determination in her eyes “But... I would do anything for you too” she declared.

 

That sole statement was enough to throw him off balance, both mentally and physically, he had to let go of her as he fell to his knees and audibly gasped, feeling the Force ripple dangerously around him,  her eyes widened with worry and was about to bend over him when she banished. Left alone, he let out a deep growl and punched his side, trying to regain focus with no avail, he began sweating at the effort and finally managed to center himself. 

He kept gasping for air for a few seconds, before regaining his composure. This hadn't happened since— He laid on his back on the hard durasteel floor and let out a tired sigh, his mind going wild for some minutes before stopping at one word, he sneered.

 

Lovers.

 _____ . _____

 

_Red, once more, he is surrounded by red and fire. He is defending himself from the ruthless attacks from someone, his body feels disconnected and all he can do is to poorly defend himself as if he’s tied down by something, unable to properly move. Her every strike is full of anger and hate, and after several blows he comes down to his knees and drops his weapon; unable to move, he only looks up to cast one final glance at the woman, almost pleading. Her lightsaber rose above his head, her face contorted in pain, she struggles with herself for an eternity and then gasps and let’s go of her lightsaber, the loud clanging noise echoes in the room and she kneels down to his level. He barely knows what is going on and then suddenly she’s now kissing him desperately, fervently, her hands holding him tightly— he returns the kiss and grips her arms._

_They break the kiss, breathing heavily, their cheeks flushed and their lips swollen, he stared for seconds into her bright brown eyes that plead for more and in a swift movement he wraps his right arm around her waist and they stand up. He pulls her closer and kisses her again, relishing in the small gasps that he rips from her throat, he feels her hand on his nape, pulling him even closer so the kiss never ends._

 

_Now he’s sitting on the throne and she’s slowly climbing on top of him, sitting just above of his growing erection, he moans and grips her ass earnestly, pulling her closer and burying his face between her breasts. They slowly begin swaying their hips, eliciting waves of pleasure from both, moaning and gasping, immersed in each other._

 

_She passes her fingers through his hair and lovingly pulls it, she lifts her head and gasps as he thrusts his hips, she moans…_

_“Ben—”_

 

Kylo awoke gasping and immediately tried to sit up, but was met with a sharp pain on his lower back that made him wince. He placed a hand on the tender area and groaned as he straightened himself up realizing he had fallen asleep on the floor, too tired from his week-long research. As he came to his senses, he looked around with a vague hope of finding her, but she was nowhere to be seen. Though he was relieved, a part of him wished she had been there— he sighed and passed a hand through his sweaty hair and readied himself to stand up, only to find that his back wasn't the only thing throbbing. He grunted with embarrasment and was even more relieved that she wasn't there to see him in such state.

 

Though unbeknown to him, even if they were light years apart, she felt it too, they felt each other. Both in the darkness of their rooms, alone yet in sync by the Force.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoy the update, next one will be coming next week (hopefully) and things will star moving soon. Eventually I will have to change the fic's rating to explicit... If you know what I mean *wink wink*.
> 
> Share if you like it! And you can find more "interesting" content on my tumblr page: http://mrsmancuspia.tumblr.com/
> 
> And I would love to hear your thoughts, feedback is love :3


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> About the resistance, Poe makes Finn uncomfotable, Rey talks to Leia and Ren has issues.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading this far!! Please proceed, news at the bottom notes!

On the other side of the galaxy, Rey was quietly panting on her bed with small pearls of sweat decorating her forehead, not daring to close her eyes again. Everything had felt so real, so tangible. With a tremulous hand, she grazed her lips just with the tips of her fingers, trying to remember the soft texture of his lips,  _ Was that how they really felt?  _ She thought while her mind kept replaying the dream, forcing her to squeeze her eyes shut in an attempt to stop it. She angrily tossed and pulled her covers to her face, she turned around to face the wall when a familiar sensation hit her. When she rubbed her thighs together the familiar slippery sensation between them came forth again, she groaned in frustration and buried her face in her pillow to conceal her blushing, cursing against it when a fleeting memory came back to her.  _ ‘You’ve been having the same dreams _ ’ said Ben’s voice, deep and surprised, making her blush even more, filling her head with more questions.  _ Had they shared THIS dream, Was he just like her? How big— _ but she stopped. She got out of her bed, grabbed a couple of things and headed out to the refresher. This was looking like a long day.

 

As morning crept along with the sunlight, the hallways began getting busy, murmurs and chatter filled every space of the quarters, bringing it to life.

 

After exiting the refresher with her teeth chattering, Rey considered that she was good to go on with her day with forgetting last night’s dream, the least she wanted to do was let her mind drift where she couldn’t restrain it, and thus a blessing came: Leia had summoned her quickly after she finished her breakfast, parting ways with Rose who was seeming less and less joyful lately. She was to meet Leia at the medical bay, where she was receiving her regular check-up, when she arrived, she was unsure whether to make herself known or to wait till Leia summoned her though she didn't get to decide.

 

“Sit Rey” was the first thing she said, signaling at a chair in front of her, Rey obeyed. She looked a little pale and dizzy making contrast with her smile “I'm sorry, this is not the best time to meet, but I could use the company” she said while grimacing. It was in moments like this that it was clear how old Leia was, something easily forgotten in the line of duty. “I intended to talk to you way sooner, but I just haven't been given much time— One would think that time is what you would have after handing over your position, but no…” she muttered and Rey could only smile trying to understand her situation. 

 

“I'll be direct Rey, I wanted to talk about this bond you share with my son” she said. If Rey had been drinking something she would've spat everything, thankfully —or not— she just blushed bright red. She could feel Leia’s heavy gaze so she opted to look away.

Leia kept on “Even if it gave us a victory over the First Order, I cannot have you exposing yourself like that anymore, You are far too important—” but Rey interrupted her.

 

“We’ve already… straightened that out…” she said shyly, ashamed of what that implied and Leia caught on immediately.

 

“You… spoke to—  _ Ben _ ?” in her voice there was a palpable mixture of perplexity and... hope. Rey only nodded, refusing to look at her straight in the eye, she knew this could be considered treason. However, Leia was concerned with other things at the moment “Is he… compliant?” she tried, hesitant. Rey wanted to snort but the dread of saying something wrong stopped her.

 

“No… Not really, it’s usually short. It was only on a few occasions when we actually spoke but—” immediately the memories from the last bond played in her mind, how honest he'd sounded, when he let her hold his hand, his wide eyes at her words, his lips on her neck— Rey completely turned away from Leia and looked down to the floor, ashamed that such thoughts would show across her face. The images threatened to flood her mind but she forced herself to focus on the mushy brown thing she ate for breakfast, she still didn't know what it had been.

 

Although Leia caught everything — if there was something she wouldn’t notice it had not happened yet — She could sense that maybe it was still too soon to begin prying so she took another approach.

 

“Can you always see each other or do you only hear him?” Her voice had taken a more motherly tone, trying to soothe Rey of whatever that was conflicting her. She looked up, surprised at the change of topic and answered as she processed the question.

 

“We… We always see each other but we cannot control it, it just happens at random” her eyes were thoughtful “at some point I think we agreed that we needed to learn to control it… somehow” shrugging her shoulders, clearly ignorant of the solution. 

 

“And? Have you found anything about it, in your texts?” Leia was now as curious as her and she looked at her hopefully, it made Rey happy that she was trying to understand rather than berating her like Luke had done.

 

“Not much, I've figured some things out but some of the books are so old I can barely make them out—” then she remembered that conversation she had with the old Jedi, why it had taken her so long to tell Leia eluded her. “Luke… also taught me something, about the bonds. It was when I went to the temple deep in the forest, he— he came to me” she looked at Leia intently, who returned the look at her with a bit of puzzlement “He said he was one with the Force now, that he could manifest like that when… I needed him the most, though he hasn't anymore— I'm sorry I didn't tell you this sooner I–”  Leia interrupted her by grabbing her hand, giving her one of those deep looks that drilled into her soul, just like Ben's. 

 

“You can't blame yourself for something you're figuring out on the fly, whenever you feel like telling me, that’s the right moment to tell me. Got it?” Rey merely stared and dumbly nodded, grateful.

 

Rey proceeded to tell Leia what she and Luke had spoken about, her training, the sabers but most importantly the bond with Ben. Luke had not been very happy about the bond, yet he'd agreed that breaking it wasn't an option, he had shared his own experience with such connections. How Luke’s connection to his father had saved and returned him to the light, and how, even if brief, his connection to his sister had saved him.

 

“He told me about the connection you two shared” Rey's eyes were inquisitive, curious for more information, for more knowledge, yet wary. Leia gave her a melancholic smile 

 

“The first time we became aware of this was after Luke lost his hand, if it hadn't been for that… he’d—” she chocked and then changed the topic “It was like something that was dormant had suddenly come alive. When he closed himself to it, I— Something died in me, like if I wasn't whole. Unlike when he died, I felt peace rather than pain” Rey listened attentively not wanting to miss a single detail. 

 

“For what you tell me, I would think it unwise to break the bond with Ben… I would imagine that what I felt would be ten times worse for you” she mused, to which Rey quietly nodded, she couldn't deny how deeply the bond had set. She blushed.

 

They kept on talking, considering the options and for a brief moment Rey thought how strange it was to talk with Leia about her son. In a way, that made him so… human. It seemed like Leia was ready to forgive him without a second thought— they had found solace in each other, able to freely speak about the man that was eating away at each of their souls.

 

_____ . _____

  
  


Lunch came by and sitting in the furthest table of the dining area were Poe and Leia, with emptied trays in front of them, discussing details regarding Poe’s new responsibilities. Even thought he’d overtaken Leia’s duties with ease —the time invested on his grooming had been worth it— he was a nervewreck about it. 

 

“How am I supposed to get them to work with me? I mean, everyone at the Resistance was already on my side, but I don’t have your… you!” said Poe, exasperated, he had his elbows on the table with his hands deeply buried in his curls. Leia smiled at him knowingly. 

 

“It is not about convincing them, it’s about convincing yourself Poe. By gaining the hearts of your comrades you will have won those of your allies” said Leia, wisdom overflowing her words while Poe dumbly stared, wondering at what moment in his life would he be bestowed with such flair. He loudly sighed with his hands still pulling his hair, he turned to see Leia again. 

 

“The councilmen sent a message early today, though they are grateful for the rescue of their people, but they won’t join us! They want us to prove… our worth!” said Poe, all the while he was massaging his temples and looking at Leia with a worried face. “Haven’t we already proven ourselves?? By going on a suicide mission to save their asses?!” he said, gritting his teeth. Leia gave him a cocky smile.

 

“I can't blame them really. Compared to the magnitude of the First Order we're more of a batallion than an army. They need to be sure of where they put their allegiance— I might not like it, but I understand where they come from” she said and he sighed yet again, fumbling his hair into a mess.

 

“When you put it that way it sounds way more reasonable— In that case, that only leaves one question, how are we supposed to prove our worth?” He said scratching his scalp. Leia flashed him with another cocky smile.

 

“In my times, that was the usual lingo for 'we need a favor’” she said with a grin that Poe mimicked then lost. 

 

“Oh man… What are we getting into? And the mission’s date was already agreed to, we leave in two days!!” He said, worried again.  But just before he could go on, Kaydel came their way.

 

“Poe, we’ve been looking for you, we need you at the communications bay” she said hurriedly. Poe gave Leia an apologetic look and she just nodded him away. Kaydel left him halfway to meet up with another colleague, Poe continued his way.

 

Upon arriving at the doors, BB-8 came up to him and cheerfully beeped. Poe crouched next to the droid, patting him affectionately. 

 

“What have you been up to, huh?” He asked to which he received another series of beeps, which meant something along of  _ I'm also working here, ya’ know?.  _ Poe laughed and the doors opened, he moved his gaze upwards until he met with a familiar pair of eyes. Something went wrong with his brain and wasn't able to muster a hello right away, which earned him beeps similar to  _ don't forget to breathe. _ Poe coughed and stood up, Finn looked different —he was wearing his usual boots,  a pair of black trousers and a tight fitting gray long sleeved shirt that made his muscles all too evident— a very normal get up that made Poe's heart skip and his throat dry. 

 

“B-Buddy! What's up?” He managed, still sounding too strained for his liking. Finn smiled a little awkwardly, noticing the inflection.

 

“You okay, man?” He asked, giving him an odd look. Dameron’s gears began turning, even ol’ grampa Dameron would've been proud.

 

“Yes, everything is very—” he said while eyeing Finn a little too boldly “—very fine” finishing with a suave smile. Finn was instantly blushing, partially at the oddity of everything.

 

“All right… Umm, well yeah. I just wanted to review some points before we head out on the mission...” he began and Poe had to force himself to listen to his words and not just stare.

 

Apparently Finn had taken his new responsibilities very seriously, as he had thought of the possible advantages they could have if they played their cards well at their diplomatic mission with the velmocs and velmarians, Velmor had been in a long dispute between the Rebellion and the Empire which in hand turned into tension from Velmor towards the Resistance and the First Order. They needed anything to tip the scales to their favor— it would be a meaningless loss for the First Order but a valuable one for the Resistance, he even went on to come up with the best possible candidates for the mission. Poe had expected Finn to be a useful addition to his team and he hadn’t been wrong.

 

Eventually Kaydel and others came in and they continued talking, working out the details with Poe struggling to keep his thoughts in a straight line, dishing odd comments every now and then that would make Finn and the others look at him funny. 

They concluded the meeting with the A Team set up for the mission: Finn, Poe and Rey, with the back up being C’ai and BB-8. When everyone began picking up, just when Finn was going to grab his notepad, his hand collided with Poe’s while both reached for it. Poe took the chance to hold his fingers, Finn looked up, startled.

 

“I'm glad you accepted to work with me” he said looking straight into Finn's dumbfounded eyes, his heart was beating like crazy and could only stammer nervously. He nodded with an awkward smile and Poe, realizing in mere seconds what he had done and that maybe he had taken it a little too far, quickly letting go. 

 

They smiled sheepishly and Poe left with everyone else, leaving Finn behind. Once he was left alone, he put his hands together and blushed with his heart still beating itself out of his ribcage, the strange encounter had turned his brain into a mush after trying to process the excess information. He glanced around and saw the familiar jacket on one chair, he picked it up and left the room, in a hurry to catch up to him— 

 

It was until Finn stumbled upon Rose that  he realized he'd been avoiding her. She was looking as gloomy as the last time they spoke, just after Poe's announcement. They had both agreed that they needed to do something about… their thing. The looked at each other and quietly agreed to move somewhere a little bit more quiet.

 

Rose sat down and moved her now long hair behind her ear, she sighed and spoke 

“We can't go on like this Finn” her tone was tired and tense, he knew that this would happen eventually, but he’d hoped he wouldn’t need to face it so soon.

 

“I’m sorry Rose, I’ve been busy with the plans for the mission to Velmor. They are in a critical point right now and it’s difficult to make time, I—” 

 

“No Finn, I didn’t mean that.  _ This _ just can’t go on” while making a hand gesture, signaling them both. Finn felt his stomach churn yet he’d be lying if he didn’t admit that somewhere deep inside him, he was relieved.

 

_____ . _____

  
  


Time didn’t stop anywhere and the due date had already arrived, Lando had already set up the coordinates to make the journey shorter, which would mean three hours instead of the calculated five.

 

Once in Velmor, they were greeted by one of the men that they had rescued, his name was Ploo Karatuz and he was acting as the set diplomat for the time being. He was looking much better than the last time they had seen him, Rey could now appreciate his physical features: his skin was tan with gray short hair, he had some facial markings on his cheekbones and was now dressed in purple robes that made him look much taller and… royal. His markings were beautiful, making her wonder what they meant, consequently,  her mind was immediately flooded with Kylo’s scar, splitting his face and only grazing his imposing shoulders— Rey blushed and shrugged the thought away.

 

This was not going to be an easy day. 

 

They were warmly welcomed and introduced to the counsel of Velmor then greeted (from afar) by the monarchs of Velmor, the people were diverse, conformed by both humans and insectoid humanoids who wore more traditional clothing.

 

Just like Leia had told Poe, they were looking for help: apparently some First Order ships had been lurking around the orbit of the planet and one had even landed under the pretense of being lost, however it blew over when Ploo and other two councilmen had been taken for “interrogation” to Coruscant after hearing rumors that there was someone from the Resistance among the counsel, even when it was only one of them who actually held any information at all. Ploo told them that the velmarians were awfully proud people, staying true to their principles at all costs, even if the Resistance hadn’t been a close ally to them it was definitely not their enemy and that had costed the life of their companion but Ploo was adamant that their actions were not regretted, with every hand movement the scars from his imprisonment would show the consequences of such pride under his sleeves.

 

It was only natural to assume that after the rescue it would be a matter of time before the First Order attempted an attack and or take over their planet. Finn doubted it since it was not a solid plan for the First Order considering their recent activity but he had the same worries as the velmarians.

 

Poe’s speech was awfully convincing — although it was evident how nervous he was—how their ideals were moving more and more people and planets to ally with the cause, because they were also tired of the Empire and were not willing to accept another others to reign over them. As a finishing touch, he sugar coated it with Rey, the last jedi who was on their side. She stepped forward with her saberstaff, and with a loud voice she said the words from her heart giving her own part of the speech, inciting them to join a conflict for the freedom of the galaxy, she knew she wasn’t much of an orator but she held the cause of the Resistance to her heart and maybe that would be enough, murmurs and whispering followed after she finished making her own speech. Then, Poe stepped over, placing a hand on her shoulder giving it a reassuring squeeze, Rey smiled and exhaled, not knowing when she had stopped breathing. 

 

The room was still bustling with murmurs, Rey grasped on the Force to try and get a feeling of the mood and she was surprised to feel that the velmarians were so… simple. Where in the base it would be an emotional chaos, here it felt like a chorus of signatures, barely differing from one another. They all had one thing in common: the desire for victory and protection. She didn’t know why, but she felt pretty sure about their possibilities for the alliance. 

 

Things had been awfully quiet between the three of them and Rey couldn’t help but notice that every now and then she caught Poe grinning at odd moments, she could feel it had nothing to do with how things were going with the negotiations… it felt different and as the day went by, she became more curious, watching him more intently. She noticed that it was mostly when Finn was around or when Finn spoke— 

It confused her when the same thing happened with Finn, so she opted to ignore it for now, to focus on her own problems.

 

Once they had reached an agreement with the velmarians, Poe gave the order to leave, he was more than satisfied with the outcome of the mission and the many souvenirs they were taking. 

 

Shortly after landing back to Dantooine, Rey took an early leave and made way to her training spot, taking with her some of the Jedi texts, her saberstaff, a change of clothes and a couple of snacks. She was planning a long stay— or at least the rest of the day. Poe and Finn had immediately left to fill in Leia as soon as they arrived, so that pretty much left her out of the picture.

 

She was feeling really tired and the tension from the dream had not left her even after the mission, the slightest detail would trigger the memory, making her blush all the way to the point that Poe and Finn had asked her various times if she was feeling well. She had not seen Ben as of late, which was good. She had no idea how she would face him after dreaming with him in such a way and then reacting like she had. 

 

She got to her spot, threw her things to the side and quickly began practicing the combat forms of Shii-Cho and Makashi. Today would be another day training until her bones hurt, meditating would just be troublesome.

 

_____ . _____

  
  
  


Kylo was edgier than usual, the dream had left him restless and the contents of it… even more so. Every time he closed his eyes he felt her, he smelled her, he heard her–

 

_ Ben _

 

He groaned loudly and ducked his head between his arms, he was sitting in his quarters, reading the pieces of information he had found at the library. . Everything he’d learned about the bond was making his mind go wild with all the possibilities that such knowledge implied. Was it something meant to happen or was it just a coincidence, a mistake of the universe? Where they supposed to really be enemies? Was it destiny or just their free will? Did the dream mean they were supposed to be lov–

 

_ Ben. _

 

He slammed his fist on the table and growled, there it was again, her voice. So gentle, so soothing and intimate, so…  _ sensuous _ . It was doing things to him, his heart would beat faster and his nethers would painfully throb under his suddenly tight clothes. Since the dream, it had been close to impossible to concentrate. He pinched his brow and sighed, feeling that needy sensation pool at the bottom of his abdomen, in an instant he stood up and decided to go to the training room, he needed to get rid of this pent up energy. He took a change of clothes and stormed out of his room.

 

He was barely making it to his destination when an officer intercepted him,

 

“Supreme Leader, sir, may I have a minute with you?” the man said with forced confidence, Kylo could feel his fear. He obliged. 

 

“Make it fast” he chewed out, and the man quickly began.

“Yes, um, you see we need to know whether to take action on the matter of Velmor, reports have been pretty dull for years but just recently there was a…” the officer’s voice faded as Kylo began feeling the familiar hummm of the force bond, he gave him this odd feeling of… qualm and he relished on it. He sighed, closing his eyes for a second, when he opened them he saw Rey like he'd never seen her before.

 

She was knee deep in water and he could see that she barely had any clothes on– his eyes traveled up her slim sun kissed legs and savored how small droplets of water slid down, as he went on and found some small shorts, sopping wet, that barely covered any skin, allowing him to see the outline of her lower abdomen, which was decorated with lines of old scars that made her skin look even more delicate. Her chest was barely covered by bandages, and the small plump base of one of her breasts peeked through, his throat dried up as he quietly gasped at the sight, he bit the inside of his lip wishing he could to see the rest of it. 

 

But his enthrallment was broken when he heard a gasp, as he snapped his head up, their eyes met and hers were as big as saucers, her face quickly gained color and her mouth was ajar, she threw her arms around her attempting to cover whatever she could. Before Kylo could even react, the bond closed once more, leaving him gaping at the empty space and letting other things around him come to focus once more.

“...Supreme Leader?... Sir? Are you ok? Sir!?” suddenly came the officer’s voice, startling Kylo and pulling him back to reality. 

 

“What?” ha snapped, trying to find focus once more, his mind drunk on the sight he had just witnessed. The officer shrank nervously and meekly responded. 

 

“My apologies Supreme Leader, but it’s just that for a moment… You seemed lost in thought” and that was putting it mildly, because as he was gaping in silence, the officer had kept calling him, getting the attention of at least other three people in the hallway who were now looking in their direction. Kylo leered at them, effectively scaring them away, except for two troopers who lingered a little longer. 

 

“Send me the information, I will check it later. Go” the officer curtly nodded and left. The transit through the hallway went back to normal and Kylo lingered on the notion whether to go train or return to his room. The fresh memory of Rey’s body haunting him—

 

_ Ben. _

 

He huffed angrily and made way to the training room. 

  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So? Di you enjoy? I was very serious when I said it was a slow burn, but we're finally gettin there!. And to compensate for the waiting time, you can check out my tumblr for some fanart I did for this chapter:  
> http://mrsmancuspia.tumblr.com/post/176000106729/dangerous-connections-update
> 
> Feedback is love! I like reading what you think or expect :3. And if you have ejoyed, share :D
> 
> Velmor. http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Velmor 
> 
> Velmoc. http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Velmoc
> 
> Shii-Cho. http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Form_I
> 
> Makashi http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Form_II


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A lot of tension here. Rey seeks advice while trying to keep everything in secret. Kylo cannot concentrate at all, not even if his life depended on it. There are dreams here.   
> And HOT stuff

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh boy! I finally have this update ready! Sorry for the long wait, my partner in crime had the chapter ideas done ages ago... but I really wanted to get this chapter right!   
> Steamy stuff ahead, I assure you it will be epic when the whole thing blows!
> 
> Read ahead!!

Rey had experienced embarrassment in her life, but none coming closer to the one she was feeling at the moment after being half naked in front of Kylo Ren. Seconds after the connection abruptly ended, Rey was still clutching dearly to her chest, and how the safety she had attained at her was quickly crumbling away. She eyed her surroundings warily and what was supposed to be a delightful bath ended up with Rey haphazardly  washing herself as fast as she could. She dressed and laid back on the fresh grass beneath her, Ben’s dark eyes still looking at her, drilling into her soul, eating away the rest of her garments... she closed her eyes in frustration and tossed angrily, damning herself for allowing her body to react as it was doing. Ben’s heavy stare hadn’t only startled her, it had  _ aroused _ her, as much as she denied it to herself, the thrill she got from seeing Ben’s flabbergasted expression was—

 

She groaned again and tossed around a bit more. With every day, she could feel how her power was becoming less like a blunt weapon and more like a fine sword, her grasp on the Force was increasing everyday. Yet her thoughts of Ben betrayed her, since their connections had started, she’d been unable to see the monster he was supposed to be and she saw… a man, conflicted by his past and unable to find peace in his present. She had seen his conflict and she had seen the visions of a future where he would turn to the light, yet she was unable to grasp her role in all of it. She held to her heart the decision she made after the events in the Supremacy, to wait and let him find his path— although doubt was slowly beginning to take a hold of her mind.  she shook her head and got up in a swift motion, the training spirit had left her and she just wasn’t ready to meditate. She picked her things up and made way to base. 

 

With her stomach growling viciously — even after she ate up all her snacks— she opted to make a stop at the cafeteria, a place where her mind could go numb with the bustling sounds of the everyone’s conversations. She picked up a tray and asked for a full plate of local fruit and the special, spiced lothal chicken and carefully made way to the table, trying not to drop her carefully made pile of fruit. Just as she sat, a familiar voice called her, she turned around to find Rose waving at her while leaving the line with her own food tray. 

Rey smiled and scooted to make space for her. 

 

“Rey, I finally see you!, You disappeared as soon as you arrived form the mission, where have you been?” Rey gave her and apologetic smile, she could say that she needed to train but something in her was starved for advice, for someone to listen.

 

“I needed to get away, I’ve just had so much in my mind lately” she finally said, letting the exhaustion sag her shoulders. 

 

“Woah, Rey! What’s wrong?!” said Rose trying to soothe her but surprised nevertheless. 

 

Rey, gave it a thought… She was desperate to find solace in someone, someone who wouldn’t judge her or teach her, someone who would just… listen. She turned to see Rose who in turn looked at her with confusion and a smirk. 

“Do I have something on my face?” Rose sarcastically said, successfully obtaining a chuckle from Rey. Rose joined her and were now chuckling quietly. When Rey’s laugh receded, she decided to begin somewhere. “It’s just that… I don’t really understand myself lately, I-, Rose, how did you know you were attracted to Finn?” Rey’s abrupt question startled Rose, who’s demeanor quickly changed. Now it was Rose who was blushing.

 

“I uh… I guess it was the little things… He grew on me and I saw the kind of man he is… And his looks!, he made my stomach flip the first time I saw him” she said with a small smile and at the same time looked in Rey’s direction, catching her off guard. She had never purposely thought about it but… She let herself wonder about his deep dark eyes, his plush kissable lips, his broad muscular shoulders, grazed with scars and his marvelous chest... She could feel the heat beginning to rise from between her thighs, Undeniably, the physical attraction was there… and Rose caught her.

 

“I can see by the way that you're blushing that he's handsome?” She said and Rey's face reddened even more.

“I-I, I uh… I mean, It’s just… I—” she sputtered, but the words would just not come to her and dread began pooling at her stomach. Rose placed a finger on her lips and shushed her.

 

“Rey! Easy, calm down. Don’t worry about it, It’s not easy trying to figure this kind of things on your own, Kaydel really helped me, so let me help you. Now, what’s wrong?” Rose beamed at her, reaching to grab one of her hands and held it reassuringly. Rey really needed this, thoughts of Ben had been driving her crazy for the last weeks and she was about to tell Leia about whatever that was happening between her and her  _ son _ . The only problem was his identity, having questionable dreams about the sworn enemy of the Resistance would surely come of as… treasony, so she came up with an idea. 

 

“Ok, but… I can’t tell you his name or his, uhm, position could be in danger.” Rey mentally rolled her eyes at how stupid it sounded, but it was the best she could come up with. Rose squinted a little, processing Rey’s request and then her eyes lit up in realization of something, it didn’t give Rey a good feeling but she let it pass for the time being.

 

“Oh! Ok, don’t worry about it, my lips are sealed” she said while closing a ghost zipper over her mouth. “So tell me about this mystery man of yours?” She inquired, more eager than before. Taken aback by such reaction, Rey realized she had very little experience on the girl talk topic.

 

“Well, umm… we don't have much time knowing each other but circumstances have brought us closer… I feel like he understands me…” she lingered on the last word, thinking of how deep his words reached her. Rose beamed and she nodded, letting her continue.

 

“— But it's difficult because his set on his principles and I just can't follow, and just when I think I've made up my mind he—” she sighed. Ben's stubbornness was hard to deal with and though she was settled on waiting for him, it seemed really far fetched sometimes. Before she could continue, Rose completed her thoughts..

“He goes on and does something that sweeps you off your feet?, I know the feeling” Rose said thoughtfully “I know it’s difficult, but you have to asses what’s important to you, if he still makes it to that list, then maybe it’s something you gotta find out together.” and as much reason Rose had in her words, Rey knew it wasn't a viable option, so she changed the topic.

 

“Well, recently I’ve had… weird dreams about him… I don't know what to do about them but I can’t focus because of them!” Rey said with frustration, and it was true, trying to go around after such dreams was difficult and she needed a quick solution. Rose eyed her. 

 

“What kind of dreams…?” asked Rose with suspicion in her voice. Yet again, Rey blushed a deep shade of pink. It was more than enough of an answer for Rose, who giggled “Well If you don’t have him near, you need to solve it on your own!” she said between giggles but came to a stop when Rey’s face twisted in confusion, her brow furrowed. “Rey… you know this right? ” her tone quickly growing alarmed. Though Rey did catch what Rose was talking about, she fidgeted, tough not for the same reasons. 

 

“Well, I think so but I’ve never really… done ‘it’ like this, it’s usually more out of necessity” admitted Rey. Back in Niima outpost it was something she couldn’t be bothered with, survival being more precarious.

 

“Well, next time you have such dreams… think about them and… do something about it. I mean there’s nothing wrong when it’s someone you love” Rose said, shrugging innocently. 

 

It was then that Rey realized what was going on, why the turmoil inside her made her so uneasy and reluctant to deal with it. It wasn’t because of what Rose was implying but of what she had said. 

 

_ Love _

 

Was that what was affecting her, was that the reason behind the dreams? She couldn’t delay it any longer, she had to meditate, she had to face her fears. 

She stood up abruptly, startling Rose.

 

“Thank you Rose, but I have to go now. This… has been most helpful!” she ran off to her room, leaving Rose wondering if she had said something wrong.

  
  


_____ . _____

  
  


Kylo’s day had barely begun and his patience was already running dry, it was the third meeting in which he hadn’t been able to focus.

Everytime an officer began speaking, his mind would inevitably wonder back to the memory of Rey bathing, the sight of her exposed skin glistening marvelously, inviting him. Not only did it wandered, his mind also created images of its own: he pictured himself nipping at her nipples through the thin fabric of her breast band, his hands traveling down to push down the wet fabric of those obscene shorts, trailing down with a path of kisses and love bites until he reached the navel that led to her pubis. Where he would—

 

“Supreme Leader, are we going to proceed with the meeting?” came tha voice of one of the officers in charge for the negotiations with other planets. 

 

He blinked, perplexed. He adjusted himself and nodded, it had already been the fourth time that had happened. This meeting was about the ongoing relations with Belmar which Hux had followed more closely than Kylo would’ve liked, yet his mind didn’t give him the attention span necessary to complain about it. By the conversations he’d grasped, everything was going accordingly and even though some sovereigns had been hesitant at the beginning, they were all slowly signing the treaties offered by the First Order in which they would be allowed to remain autonomous only if they bound themselves to a single currency and common commerce, in exchange there would be laws and treaties to establish equal laws that protected everyone. Many generals had disregarded such agreement as weak and pointless, yet the unexpected effectiveness of it proved otherwise. 

In other occasions Kylo would be invested in such conversations, but his mind was elsewhere and there was no getting it back.

 

That was how his day went, drifting from his everyday reality to the daydreams of the woman who had awakened his darkest desires.

 

Once the meetings were over, he handed over the rest of his pendings to Dalmar, who was visibly getting tired of being the errand girl though she complied yet again. As he was leaving her she strongly gripped him by his bicep, effectively stopping him dead on his tracks. 

 

“Your are running my patience dry,  _ Kylo _ ” said her distorted voice. He stared into the hollows of her helmet’s eyes, weighing his words, then he settled for a suitable answer.

 

“Meet me with Maro in 3 hours, I will tell you what I know” he firmly pulled his arm away from her grip, holding her gaze for a second before leaving without another word. 

 

He quickly retired to his room and opened the last archive he’d been reading. After getting over the  _ lovers  _ thing, he’d found out that contact through a bond was easily achieved when both parties were either in balance or in sync with each other. He pondered on the last words: in sync. What would require them to be in sync? She stubbornly rejected his offer to be her master and their last conversations had gone awfully. He could offer his knowledge in the bond in exchange for hers, they had at least agreed on that, even if she didn’t know it. But she was far too stubborn and far too—

 

Beautiful. 

 

He pressed his hands to his forehead and grumbled, they needed more than that to be in sync they needed to work like partners, like—

 

Lovers. 

 

This time he brusquely leaned back in his chair, letting out a louder groan of frustration. He turned off his holopad and stormed off to the refresher, getting undressed along the way, every garment being tossed as angrily as he could. When he pulled down his trousers he revealed the erection that had been tormenting him all day which he had efficiently hidden away at the hem of his trousers but had only grown more needy as the day went by. He got into the refresher and a jolt of excitement ran through his spine as he felt the warm water trickling down his member, pulling a quiet moan from his lips. His right hand began traveling down his abdomen, to appease his arousal but a tug on the Force snapped him out of it. 

 

Maro. 

 

He came to his senses and turned the knob of the refresher to cold and proceeded to wash as fast as he could. 

 

*

 

Maro and Dalmar were quietly meditating one next to the other when he arrived to the training rooms, their usual meeting spot. They sensed his presence as they saluted him just as he went through the doors. 

 

“It took you long enough, master” said Maro, his annoyance crystal clear under the calmness of his usual tone.

 

“If you want answers, patience is required. You know this best” Kylo bit back, his own growing anger getting the best of him yet Maro merely smiled and nodded, he extended his hand an invited Kylo to sit with them, and he did. 

 

Kylo closed his eyes and exhaled loudly before getting this over with, he knew he wasn’t going to keep the secret forever but the dread that pooled in his stomach said otherwise. Both his knights were silently waiting for him, exerting pressure on him. He began.

 

“Maro… You are well aware of my connection… to the Jedi. and you both know my history with both the dark side… and the light” Kylo lifted his head to look at then, uneasy but the knights were calm if maybe impatient. He continued.

 

“The connection we have, I don't know what created it but it's becoming stronger and we can't control it. She's…” but he couldn’t bring himself to finish the sentence 'powerful’, 'enthralling’, 'destroying me’, 'pulling me’. These and many words came to his mind, but he didn't dare to say any of them, though it was not necessary.

 

“She's too much for you… isn't she?” Dalmar pried, her burgundy eyes burning a hole on his face. 

 

In his lifetime, Kylo had learned to not trust anyone but himself that it was the closest ones  to you that betrayed you, yet Dalmar and Maro had proven their loyalty to him over and over, although his desperation to find a solution to his wandering mind was getting the best of him.

He looked up and felt the blood rush to his cheeks and the tips of his ears, too embarrassed to admit it he quietly answered the inquiry.

 

“I can't stop— she always in my mind. It's driving me mad”

Dalmar and Maro were perplexed at the unexpected confession. They had seen his master struggle with himself and the light within him but never over… A woman.

 

It was new for all of them. But they had been loyal to each other, protecting their bond, they even bore the scars of battle were they had risked their life for each other. Kylo was looking down, embarrassed of his confession, Dalmar took the chance and placed one hand in Maro's knee who looked up at her, inquiring. She signaled the exit with her head and he quickly caught the message, he sighed and stood up quietly, Kylo caught the motion and saw him leave. He was about to protest and call Maro back when Dalmar interrupted.

 

“What is it that you feel for the Jedi?” She inquired in a cold voice. If they were to proceed she needed to know everything. Kylo switched his attention to her and bit the inside of his mouth, Dalmar lifted an eyebrow.  “You've said this much, you might as well come out clean before the  _ less _ understanding claim your head” sarcasm laced in every word.

 

Everytime he thought of Rey, his stomach would flip, but now it was different. He felt something was changing even if he didn't want it to or knew what it was exactly, the main difference now was that his whole body burned whenever he let his mind drift away. Dalmar noticed.

 

“Are you thinking about her right now?” Kylo choked on the question. He growled and nodded, not looking up to meet her eyes.

 

“I believed it was the rivalry between us but what I've found out about the bonds and how it has gotten stronger has changed what I thought. And the dreams, they keep getting—” but he went dead quiet in a second. Dalmar peered mischievously, peeking under Kylo’s bangs she found his face had turned a deep shade of red, ears peeking through the tousled hair. 

 

“So you've dreamt about her? And I don't think it’s the kind of dream where you kill her, more like pin her—” she was beginning to smile but he yelled

 

“STOP!” he buried his hands in his hair and snarled, “I’VE TRIED TO UNDERSTAND THIS BUT NO MATTER WHAT, IT ALL LEADS TO THE SAME... LOVERS!!” his chest was heaving and the Force around him became heavy and turbulent, he was on the verge. Yet Dalmar was unimpressed, already too familiar with his outbursts, and allowed him to lash out.

 

“I've tried to hate her existence since the bond first opened , but I can't! She has latched onto my mind like a disease I can't get rid of, and yet worse, I  _ want _ more!” he grumbled, chewing the words with anger and frustration. “I had come to terms with my infatuation with her but now— Now it's out of control, I can't think, I can't work. Everytime I close my eyes she's there and she's—” but he stopped dead on his tracks, groaning and pulling at his hair even more. Dalmar immediately understood what Kylo spoke about, his path had always been set in stone, which he never really questioned but now that he could choose…

 

“Where do your allegiances lie Kylo?” Dalmar’s cool voice snapped him out of his tantrum and he gave her a spiteful look, offended at the question, though she continued “We have followed you everywhere, and we will if you do. But this Jedi is not a fleeting thing, so I must know. Where is your allegiance?” Kylo’s face twisted into an indiscernible grimace. He remained quiet, lost in thought for minutes, pondering the answer that would determine the future of his knights. 

 

When he finally looked up, Dalmar couldn't help the shiver that went down her spine. Kylo’s eyes were different, full of a fire she hadn't seen in years. 

“I can’t deny what I feel for her, I have accepted that. Though I can’t deny my allegiance to you for her— it's more complicated than I would like but that's how it is. Give me time Dalmar, but be assured that I'd rather die than betray my knights” his eyes burned through her like a blazing sun, she could not deny the veracity of his words, his Force signature steady and heavy, unwavering.

 

“You truly are infatuated with this Jedi woman, aren't you?” More than looking for an answer, Dalmar was merely stating the obvious, it was Kylo's red ear tips what gave him away which made her wonder if he had begun using the helmet because of that.

“So be it, but have in mind how much this will cost you. If the Jedi woman becomes your downfall, we will take her down with us” Dalmar’s last words were colder and more menacing, Kylo agreed. 

 

Once Maro caught sight of Kylo’s back disappearing beyond the hallways, he took the cue and found Dalmar just at the entrance of the training room.

 

“Dalmar” came his deep cool voice. She turned around and gave him a reproachful look, clearly startled from her deep thought. “Is it what we thought?”

 

“I questioned him about his loyalties, and his determination remains unwavering but I cannot say the same for his emotions, at best— he’s a mess” Maro gave her a stern look and nodded while analyzing the new information. “what about you?” inquired Dalmar. to which Maro looked up, holding her gaze for a good few seconds before answering. 

 

“My loyalties lie where they should, to Kylo and the Knights. And I answer to that, not to the dark side or the light side, So what it’ll be, it’ll be.” Dalmar knew Maro all too well and was very familiar with his detached personality, never being loyal to anything else but the Knights, yet she was still surprised with his answer. She questioned her own position in all of this and grimaced at the thought of eventually having to tell the others. 

 

What’ll be, will be.

  
  


_____ . _____

  
  


Rey was breaking a sweat in a faraway part of the base, sitting in lotus position, battling her own demons. The Force around her turmoiled and was causing the lights to flicker and the metal walls quietly vibrate under the pressure, it wasn’t the best place to do this but she could no longer run away from this. 

 

For the last months Rey had buried deep within her the conflict that Kylo Ren arose in her but with every connection, every dispute and every  _ dream _ — the hold she had on it was now frail, constantly threatening of bursting her open like a river. Now that she had decided to face it, to let her feelings flow freely and eviscerate every little part of herself, she did not like what she found. 

 

With tears burning her eyes and her chest heaving with desperation, she was allowing all the emotions that conflicted her, she was letting herself feel freely, to truly experience what she had said or intended to say. The fear of the masked creature, the curiosity she felt when she first saw his face, the anger in Starkiller Base, the bewilderment at their connection. 

 

She let all of those emotions fill her, experiencing them all over again, anger burning in her chest. All at once, they shifted: the safety she felt in the hut, the way her heart flipped upon seeing a future  _ with  _ him, the sadness she felt every time the bond closed, the eagerness to see him again, the way his touch lingered everytime, the unbearable pain of taking his life, the arousal from his touch. Everything was so contradicting from her beliefs, acceptance was a choice that if taken, there would not be turning back. 

 

Tears began freely flowing like waterfalls, erratic sobs and shallow breaths ebbing from her small body— the denial that she had held on for so long was gone and had been substituted by the sorrowful reality, if she was ever to gain control over her future and the bond, she had to be true to herself.

 

She loved Ben. She loved Kylo Ren.

 

*

 

Hours had gone by yet they felt like an eternity to Rey, her body sore and her mind barely recovering from the most strenuous meditation she would ever experience. She quietly walked to her chambers— avoiding the places where she could bump into anyone.

Exhausted, she cleaned herself in the refresher and immediately after, collapsed on her bed, she didn’t even realize when sleep took over. 

 

_ Red, she’s kneeling down, sobbing while she loses grip on her saber, the man in front of her is confused and in pain. She takes his face in her hands and desperately kisses him, her heart beating like crazy. Taken aback, he doesn’t respond immediately, but as she tries to break the contact, he pulls her closer and fervently kisses her. _

 

_ They separate and his dark eyes are heavy with lust, making her body ripple with desire, he picks her up and now they’re sitting on the throne. She straddles him and feels his erection pressing against her aching core, trying to satiate herself she rocks her hips, ripping moans of pleasure from both. She caresses her muscular shoulders but she is desperate for more, she tugs at the fabric containing him, freeing his hot erection and she relishes on the sight, her pussy wet for him. He copies her and clothes are now being thrown away,  exposing their bodies to each other, the heat of the need suffocating them, lost in the eyes of the other.  _

 

_ She can’t take it anymore and lifts herself to be just above his erection, his breath hitches and he squeezes her ass, angling her to meet the tip of his member. Her heart thrums and her vulva grows slicker with fluids which begin to trickle down her thighs, a gasp erupts deep within her when she feels him pry her fold apart, she wants to push down and— _

  
  


Darkness met her once more, her breathing erratic and the unpleasant feeling of incompletion straining her senses. The dream had been so intense— she could feel her panties thoroughly dampened— she rolled over and tentatively rubbed her thighs together eliciting a wave of pleasure that invaded her senses. She closed her eyes, and allowed herself to relieve the pleasure from the dream whilst deciding what would she do about it. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rey is thinking about it!! will she or will she not do it? Should she do it?? What do you think?  
> And what about Kylo!? hhehehehe...
> 
> Thank you for sticking around for those who are following, this fic has been under constant improvement and I would really love to hear your thoughts!   
> Feedback is love :3, Kudoing and commenting are food for our souls :D
> 
> Leave your comments and doubts here, or you can always check out my tumblr, where you'll be able to find fanart and smut ;D: Mrsmancuspia.
> 
> Until the next update!


	15. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kylo seeks frienldy advice, Rey doesn't want friendly advice. But both want one same thing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok, I did it. I updated! It was such a struggle to get this done, but I finally did it (milestone checked). I was torn on how to proceed with the smut, and the plot points and everything!! I kind of even let it gather dust for a while until my co-author put pressure on me.. ghh.  
> And some good news, everyone... Smut ahead! And it will only keep coming!! YES! I told you it would come and we delivered :D buuuut all good things come at a hefty price kukukuku...  
> Also, we've made it halfway! It's such a big deal for us, cuz it's our first fic and we love it and it's so nice to see it grow i.i. Thank you for those who have been patient readers and have kept up with this slow burn :)
> 
> And with no further ado... Read!

Far away in the outer reaches of the galaxy, a flustered Kylo awoke, tense and with a body craving release. He sighed and passed one hand through his hair, ruffling and pulling on it in his frustration. He looked down and saw his obvious arousal tenting his sleep trousers, demanding the attention he’d refused to indulge in. It had only been three days since he'd last seen her, and Kylo was already at his wit’s end. The conversation with Dalmar forced him to admit out loud something he'd barely acknowledged to himself: his infatuation with Rey. But this development was something he was not prepared to deal with.

He propped himself up on his elbows and looked at himself. How had he let this happen? He thought he was in control of his emotions although it turned out that was a complete lie, his own body ascertained this.

 

His mind was at Rey's command, his every thought filled with memories of her hazel-green eyes, her delicate lips and the body of his darkest desires.

Was this something spawned from the bond or was it coming from… him?

He slumped back and groaned loudly, he wanted to deal with the painful erection that she had given him, but the bond could open at any moment… and it was... enticing—

 

In a swift motion he stood up and left for the refresher. It was going to be another long day.

 

The refresher was icy cold when he exited and his teeth quietly chattered while he moved to his closet to change. With his mind much clearer, he skimmed through his surroundings with the Force, looking for Dalmar’s signature. She acknowledged his presence and pushed him away, while Kylo received the faint message through the bond: _one hour._ Kylo nodded to himself and got to work on the holovids, he’d been so immersed and anguished by the bond with Rey that the research on the strange records was almost forgotten. He sat and began reading, waiting for one hour to pass.

 

*

 

 Almost automatically, he walked to the training rooms: it was already implicit that it was their meeting point. The doors opened and as always, she was already sitting in the lotus position waiting for him. Her lips formed a thin line, he could tell she was annoyed.

 

“To what do I owe the honor, _Supreme Leader?_ ” yes, she was clearly annoyed. Kylo huffed at the snideness that accompanied the honorific and bit back a retort.

“Now you call me Supreme Leader? I thought you didn’t use titles,” he smugly said as he sat down, something Dalmar didn’t take nicely and sneered.

“You have me playing the part of a mere _assistant_ and you come here like nothing? I’m sorry if there is too much on your plate but you asked for it!” Dalmar’s sudden outburst took him off guard and he was mute for a full minute while he pierced her with his eyes. She scoffed and looked at him, all too familiar with his temper. “You want something, I can feel it, so out with it,” she said bluntly. He huffed and brought one hand between his eyebrows.

 

“Be grateful I’m in a dire situation or you’d be fighting me instead of talking,” he said shortly, tired of their usual bickering and in urgent need of guidance. Dalmar smirked and claimed a victory for herself, as they were rare nowadays. She nodded and slightly shrugged, awaiting whatever Kylo had to say. He grumbled, it was obvious this was not something he fully desired.

 

“Things have changed with me and— the Jedi” he mumbled, too ashamed to admit what had just happened. “I told you that she was in my mind, but things have turned… more difficult...” his voice strained by the effort of keeping his cheeks from blushing. After all his years training to control his emotions, he was feeling childish and struggling to keep his blush at bay.

 

“So I was right? Your dreams. They are of a different… context than usual” said Dalmar, carefully trying not to trigger another outburst like last time. Kylo had many things in control, but his temper was clearly not one of them and it reminded her not of the fearsome Kylo Ren, Jedi Killer, but the angry and moody padawan colleague, the long forgotten Ben Solo. She shivered at the thought of the name, how many years had it been?

 

“Yes, in the dreams— I — She’s… We are—” but the words didn’t come out and the creeping blush under his ear began to make itself known. Frustrated, he looked up and gave Dalmar a look that anyone else would describe as murderous, but Dalmar knew it too well. He was desperate.

 

“Kylo… I thought this was already settled," she said cooly. Kylo returned the stare and under the blush and desperation, came determination.

 

“Me too,” he quietly said, bitterness present. He looked away for a second and exhaled, preparing himself to what he was about to do, to what he was about to expose.

 

Like a river flowing free for the first time in eons, Kylo spoke the truth to the only person who had know him since his time as Ben Solo. He spared no detail about what had elapsed in the days prior to Crait, how the bond connected them, how they had both seen different things from the other, how deep the bond became. How the dreams had brought them closer. How, after she professed to care for him, his foundations on the dark side had trembled and he was thrown off balance, changing out of his control.

He had studied all that he could from the old texts, but nothing could help him. Nothing could have prepared him for the heavy pressure that was gripping his chest and clouding his mind, tempting his body.

 

“Kylo, are you sure of what you’re saying? If this information gets into the wrong hands, you will be called out for treason,” said Dalmar. Kylo sighed and nodded, he knew very well what it implied and how it could cause his demise, but so it would be if he kept this bottled up any longer.  

 

“I can’t control this any longer and I don’t know how much I can keep this up, I fear I’ll do something... rash,” and though he knew there was something boiling within him, he would not be able to assure what it was exactly. “Snoke kept feeding me lies, I discovered it when I killed Han Solo, and then he claimed that the bond was his doing, but killing him didn’t...” Kylo’s head snapped upwards, unaware of how much he’d let his defenses down. All this time keeping a secret, only to screw up because he couldn’t control himself.

 

Yet Dalmar was unimpressed. She stared at him, impassive as always, “So it wasn’t only the Jedi who killed Snoke,” she stated. Kylo could not deny the truth, she would only claw it out of him if he did.

 

“It was me who did it— she merely aided me to fend off his praetorian guard. I...” but this was as much as he could say, anymore and he would be eviscerating himself in front of her. This was more than enough for the rest of their lives.

 

“I see... your actions are more than questionable Kylo, with even more questionable reasons,” Dalmar sternly said. Kylo’s signature was much more subdued now… was it humiliation? She sighed, the First Order had served them as a ladder to rise to power, something that Snoke offered at the time, he was nothing more than a tool as they were to him, so his death meant nothing to the Knights. She looked at him and gave him a smile, such a rare gift between them that it made Kylo visibly flinch.

 

“I feel you as clearly as I feel myself, I believe you. This will become your downfall if you’re not careful, Hux is not to be taken lightly,” she said. Kylo scoffed and let a small smirk pull the corners of his mouth, but she kept on before he could gloat.

 

“We know to what extent that man will go to obtain what he desires. You may not see it yet, but you are giving him the higher card unbeknownst to you,” and before Kylo could answer, Dalmar interrupted again, making all the color drain from his face.

 

“You love her. And when he finds out, because he will, you will die”.  

 

_____ . _____

 

Hux had been awfully quiet since the last time he had spoken with Kylo. His bruises and scratches had healed, but anyone could see clear as daylight that his ego had taken a heavy blow. His position had not been damaged, but he could hear the cutshort conversations as he entered to the rooms, how the officer’s eyes lingered on him as he passed by. However, he had endured much worse along his career inside the First Order, and gossip wasn’t about to take him down.

 

Just as he had been keeping a low profile, Ren had gone further and had become something close to a hermit, barely attending to meetings, only receiving messages in his chambers and sending one of his knights as a representative. She was not a politician nor a strategist, so people had accepted her through gritted teeth and fearful eyes.

 

What was a hindrance to everyone else was a blessing in disguise to Hux, he considered himself beyond clever as he achieved to fully have under his control a whole fleet close to the Belnar system and it all had been under the _Supreme Leader's_ nose. Belmar’s and other planets’ negotiations were now under his supervision — though Kylo had been very thorough keeping him at bay— by means of bribery and extortion here and there. Thanks to that, he was now receiving fully detailed reports on the routes of possible Resistance freights, his plan had been so successful that he’d narrowed it down to ten possible planets and was to send two probes soon.  Plans were running smoothly according to the mystical knights and their leader. They may be powerful magic wielders, but an ancient and dying power had no chance against militaristic strategy, which was proving to be their downfall.

 

Yet every plan had it's issues and Hux's was precisely Kylo and the Knights. Kylo alone could be taken out by sheer numbers, but the knights had a nasty reputation that preceded them.  If he wanted to guarantee his victory, he would have to find a way to gain their favor. To his luck, that piece of the puzzle was about to arrive at his doorstep.

 

The guards he had sent to keep an eye on Kylo had requested to see him and give him all the intel they had gathered. They were doubtful that he would find the information useful, but Hux thought differently.

 

They had reported various incidents in the last months. In more than one occasion they had caught Kylo staring into the empty corridors and once he’d even yelled at them. What had started to catch their attention, was the fact that he seemed to speak to something. They went into detail of a time they saw him holding something in the air, as if there was someone.

As they talked, Hux’s mind reeled as fast as it could, connecting the information with Kylo’s sudden outbursts of rage, random orders and apparent daydreaming during meetings, it all finally made sense and he was now in power of the remaining dots he needed to connect. Everything made sense now.

 

Before the guards had a chance to finish their report, Hux lifted a hand and stopped them.

“That’ll be enough, continue keeping an eye on the Supreme Leader and report to me if anything like this happens again,” he curtly said and dismissed the guards.

 

This was his winning card, this was what was going to tip the tides to his favor. Once Kylo’s secret was exposed, his grip on the First Order would become meaningless and he wouldn't even have the favor of his beloved Knights.

 

Hux walked towards the communications bay, walking slowly to savor his incoming victory, a malicious smile appearing on his face as all the pieces of his plan were falling into place right in front of him.

 

 _Supreme Leader Hux._ He was really liking the sound of it.

 

 _____ . _____

 

 

Way back in the Resistance’s base, Rey was back in her quarters, angrily fiddling with some blaster parts and a battery. She was trying to see if she could improvise some sort of weapon from it, but the angry part of her was also getting impatient. Everyone had noticed how her mood had soured in the past few days, going from her usual sunny self to a bitter and snappy one, people were starting to avoid he a little... even Finn had changed direction once he caught a glimpse of her. Not only was her mood souring, the Force around her felt tense and — electrified.

 

The battery she was trying to stick into the blasters’ rear opening wouldn't fit and it was driving her crazy, she used all her strength and unknowingly pulled on the Force, she could feel the battery almost fitting in, almost—

 

She flinched as the battery violently flew out of her hand, crashing against the wall while sending sparks flying everywhere, which fell on her bed, which caught fire. Rey squeaked and jumped into action to subdue the flames.

 

With the fire out, she stared at the scorch marks, anger building up inside her like a venomous beast ready to strike whatever got in her way. She growled and with a yell threw the blaster to the wall where the battery had hit. It crashed and went back to being spare parts, just like that, her anger also deflated.

 

She slumped to the floor and sighed. Accepting her feelings for Ben had not been easy, it had left her exhausted and with a torn heart, raising more questions than answers in the process. A side effect she hadn’t expected was this pent up energy. She had trained constantly and kept herself busy all the time, yet she couldn’t  shake the feeling off, like she needed… something. The dreams along her newfound emotions pulled her in different directions, wasn't desire like that supposed to be devoid of feelings? How could something so raw be laced with love? Where was this going to lead her? And what was she supposed to do with all this energy...

 

A loud knock startled her, making her flinch violently. Finn’s voice was calling her name, she adjusted herself and stood up to open the door. A shy Finn met her, he seemed a little too wary for her liking but said nothing.

 

“I don’t know why I didn’t look for you here in the first place!” he said, exasperated. Rey was about to retort but it was true that she spent very little time in her room other than to sleep. She forced a smile despite her wavering mood; Finn didn’t deserve this.

 

“Sorry, I got all fixated on this... thing,” she vaguely said, hopeful that Finn wouldn’t ask for what was exactly on her mind, as it was spread all over just like the blaster

 

“Oh, well sorry to interrupt but Leia has been looking for you, so if your Highness could make herself present, that would be great,” Rey giggled, Finn always had a way to pull her out of her thoughts.

 

“Fine, maybe I will honour you with my presence for being so funny,” she said, playing along. They giggled and shortly, Finn was leaving to the comm room as he had a meeting to attend to and Rey caught a brief glimpse of his emotions, she slightly recoiled— thrill, excitement? What was going on?

 

She wiped her face and hands as they had been stained by the singed scraps of the battery then she put on a white tank top, a pair of gray pants that finished just below her knees and her trustworthy boots. Once she deemed herself ready, she made way to the common area where Leia expected her.

 

*

 

Leia was sitting on a bench chatting with a small woman, who seemed upset. Upon the scene, Rey stopped a few meters away, hesitant to approach them and ungracefully breaking the spell the enveloped them, though as if by cue, the woman nodded energetically and hugged Leia before bidding her goodbye, leaving the former general free. She turned to see her, obviously being aware of Rey’s presence beforehand, and indicated her to approach while she was standing up herself.

 

“I see you finally got my message” she said with a little sarcasm tinting her comment, Rey fidgeted and apologized for her obliviousness of the situation, but Leia nodded sideways, stopping her from going on.  “I’ve caught on with your recent... mood. I don’t want to ask more than what you’re willing to share, but we’re a bit worried about you,” she finally said. Rey could feel the honest care that emanated from Leia and her heart panged for the love of a mother like her.

 

“I’ve… done introspection in the last days and it took its toll on me but nothing I can't handle… It’s just a lot at the moment.” she managed to say, even though her mind was clearer she was still not ready to give Leia a straightforward answer on a topic that involved her only child. Leia understood and nodded, giving her a small understanding smile.

 

“Well, I needed to talk to you because I have the perfect thing to get you out of this shell of yours,” Rey listened, eager to hear her proposition. “Lando found an old contact of his and he’s willing to help us get a steady stream of intel and supplies for protection, it’s too good to be true in my opinion…” Rey’s quizzical look gave her away “So why does it have to be you? Well dear, because apparently, this man is willing to do anything for the Jedi— Lando says you’re the bargaining chip,” and to that Rey wrinkled her nose, abashed. Leia caught on and gave her an apologetic shrug.

 

“What we need is that you settle the deal, the man already sent his location and it’s just a matter of setting a rendezvous point,” Leia let out a heavy sigh. “I hope Lando’s right about this, if it works, we would be able to grow much faster…”. Rey nodded.

 

She wasn’t used to being a treaty enabler but any help she could offer was good help so she nodded, too tired to protest and too frustrated to deal with it all. Leia was about to ask more, she sensed it, but before anything else could be said, she dismissed herself on the claim that she’d left some important work halfway— _halfway spread through her room—_ she sighed and left a stern looking Leia behind her.

 

As she walked to her room/ training spot, the all too familiar hum of the Force invaded her senses and in a panicked frenzy, she ran to safe ground before the bond opened completely.

Sitting on something with his head in his hands was Ben, only wearing a pair of slack trousers and a dark tank top just like her. He quickly perceived her presence and stood up as they became visible to each other, his eyes burning her very being and she could feel herself blush and her heart beginning to race. As he approached her, the memory of their last connection surged forward, making her a little too self aware. Her words had been true, but just now was she realizing how much she had confessed so unwillingly.

When she dared to look at him, her breath hitched at what she encountered. His usual menacing demeanor had been replaced by a weary one, almost docile, too vulnerable for others.

 

Endearing to her.

 

She looked away, still to unused to this new facet of hers, being faced with too many truths in a very short period of time. Finally she dared lock eyes with him only to find that his attention was definitely not on her eyes but elsewhere...

 

“Don’t look at me like that!” she blurted out, suddenly too self-conscious of her body. Her face was burning up.

 

“How do you want me to look at you?” he said, his voice deep and husky, almost seductive. Rey didn't have an answer for that and merely stared. He took it as a cue and stood up to draw nearer. She looked away, still new to all of this... _thing_. Too absorbed in what to do, she couldn’t stop herself from flinching when his voice called her name, this time too close in her opinion.

 

“Rey… I asked you a question” he whispered, his deep orbs locked on her and inching closer still. “How—” and closer “should—” and closer “I—” his breath now tickling her ear “look—” and a quiet moan fighting to escape her throat “at you” which she managed to let out as a sigh. The aches from the night before began to prickle at her skin again, making her shiver. She didn’t answer, the sensation of his hot breath on her was making her dizzy. Wait, she could feel his breath?

“Rey…” he kept on whispering, harshly tugging at Rey’s self control like a vicious banta. “The dreams… they’re driving me mad,” he said, pausing to think. “ _You_ drive me mad,” he added. And if Rey had been blushing before, she was a deep shade of red now. It was her time to come back at him.

 

“And what makes you think I’m fine?” she retorted, angrier than she would've wanted but anger and frustration was all she felt nowadays. To her surprise, Ben stepped away, bafflement in his eyes, obviously taken aback by her retort.

 

“Are they… do we… still share our dreams?” he asked, suddenly shy. She didn’t answer immediately, chewing on her lip while mulling her answer. Finally, it came.

 

“You already know,” she said, blushing. A shiver ran down Kylo’s spine at the innocence of her answer, passing a hand through his hair in frustration, Rey’s heart skipped a beat at that. He let out a grumble and  he bowed down to her height again and gently brushed his lips against her cheek while whispering in his deep voice to her ear.

 

“Then I will see you tonight,” and just like that Rey lost it. Her heart rate shot up and her whole body trembled, the hum of the Force suddenly loud like a swarm of bees and like holding onto water, her grip on the Force loosened and the connection was shut. She quietly stood frozen on the spot, trying to process the fact the Ben had _flirted_ with her, she lost balance and gracelessly dropped to her knees and then onto her bum, she buried her face in her knees unsure if she wanted to squeal or scream.

 

* 

 

Everything's happening so fast.

 

His hands are on her, caressing their way down her body, feeling her up and leaving a trail of tingling skin. She arches her back, offering her body to him, surrendering herself to the sensations he awakes in her.

He lets out a groan  at the sight of her nipples as she blatantly presents them and he bends down to trap one of them in his mouth. A needy moan escapes her mouth at the blissful sensation and writhes under his ministrations, her pussy wet with desire and he knows this.

With his free hand, he angles himself and nudges her entrance, relishing how wet she is for him, she flinches at the probing but immediately moves with him, ready to take him in.

 

And he does. She’s so slick that he goes in with ease and both groan at the sudden sensation. His hands grab her ass tightly, trembling with desire and she understands, slowly she lifts herself, pulling him out of her, his grip getting tighter. But he gasps when she goes back down, and he throws his head back, letting out a guttural moan. They find a gentle swaying that pleasures both yet it quickly becomes rough and rushed with desire. She feels her peak approaching, his name leaves her lips, louder and louder. He can’t take it much longer, his thrusts grow erratic.

 

Rey can feel it, her body clenches and —

 

“Ben!”

 

Rey woke up, gasping for air, suddenly lost in her own room. She threw her arms over her eyes, irritated by the unreleased energy that was flooding her body,  along with the already familiar moisture between her legs just like nights before, only tonight was worse: all thanks to Ben’s unusual teasing.

 

Ashamed yet needy, she slid her right hand under the covers and clothes, when she came in contact with her slick folds, she gasped at the electric wave of pleasure that hit her. She didn’t need this, she _craved_ it. Remembering Rose’s words and with her lack of will at this point, she relented.

 

Shyly, she began circling her swollen clit, letting out a quiet sigh at the delicious sensation that came. The pleasure that flooded her was far better than that from the times she got off only to deal with stress— it was not only an urge but an overpowering desire to reach completion. Gladly, her mind helped with the task, replaying the dream which had awoken her: his heavy panting, his roaming hands and his strong thrusts. As she stimulated her clit, an unfamiliar craving came forth and she slid down her other hand to fulfill it— with one hand she eagerly circled her clit while the other caressed her soaked lips, trying to satisfy that unknown need.

 

Her climax began approaching and with it the need grew stronger, under quiet moans, her fingers left her folds to tentatively pry her opening. That was it. Hungry for more, she slid two fingers in and pumped with haste while letting out soft moans of pleasure. If it hadn't been for that, she would’ve notice Ben faster.

 

*

 

When the bond opened, he scrambled around his sheets to cover his needy erection, the dream had been so vivid and explicit but just as he had decided to act upon it, the familiar hum of the Force startled him, a second later he was already sitting up with his hands on his lap. She appeared next to him as if they shared a bed, but instead of an equally flustered Rey, he was met with one that was fumbling under the covers. He was about to say her name when a quiet moan came to his ears that made his jaw drop.

 

Rey was pleasuring herself.

 

And just after the dream she had, that same dream that had him painfully erect under the covers. He opened his mouth to stop her, unwilling to be a voyeurist—  invading the little privacy that she could still claim as hers — but her quiet moans had him hypnotized, unable to move only for his twitching erection that demanded his attention. He dared not.

 

Her hips began bucking more noticeably, her moans more shallow and louder. He was already breaking a sweat by just watching, his willpower on the verge of the abyss, and when he thought he was about to go mad, she opened her eyes.

 

None said a word, and for a split second his heart sank like lead at the sight of her wide eyes. But she didn’t stop, she closed her eyes once more while she bit her lip and in less than a minute later, she reached her climax, letting out a deep and satisfied moan.

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So? aaah! I'm so excited to finally get to the smutty parts!! We've been planning this for months!!! I mean, not only readers get impatient!  
> I'm getting to work ASAP on chapter 16 so hopefully the wait will be much less!  
> We'd love to hear from you, our readers :D! You can comment here or in my tumblr, Mrsmancuspia :)
> 
> vrepit sa! (not here but it sounds so cool!)


	16. Chapter 16

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kylo decides to make a trip, Hux plots and Rey... Rey waits.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This took me so long to complete!! I'm sorry guys! I didn't mean to, but when I least expected, two weeks had gone by and I still hadn't finished the chapter, and then my co-author caught me procrastinating and, and... And I'm sorry :C  
> Plot is thickening, dun dun dun, also, smut is a lot closer to happening, hhehehehe... I mean it already happen but it was just a little compared to what I have in store... hehehehehehe.
> 
> Thanks to everyone who has commented, it brings joy to my heart to see that someone is interested YwY.

The image of her half lidded eyes staring back at him had been seared into Kylo's mind for eternity.

The connection had broken the moment she reached her climax, and she had vanished like wind blowing in the night, leaving him frozen and bewildered, sitting in silence, suddenly too aware of how vast and empty his room was.

 

He slumped back and growled, angry at her, angry at _himself_ for being weak and needy, unable to string two thoughts together when she was in front of him and for easily giving in to his primal desires. Not wanting to think anymore and throwing his last piece of sanity out the window, he used this new found motivation and shamelessly slid his hand under his trousers.

 

Kylo let out a long sigh of relief as he took ahold of his needy erection and gave it a tentative tug, a jolt of pleasure ran through him like lightning, making him shiver. His mind followed immediately with images of Rey, a mix between the dreams and what he had just witnessed.

 

She was panting on top of him, riding him relentlessly, desperate for her own pleasure, needy and obscene from desire. He pictured how her small breasts would look like, what color would her nipples be? What sounds would she make when he took her?

His mind worked his way along his hand and picked up a steady pace, enjoying the pleasure of it, a mix between a neglected need and a forbidden indulgence. Had she enjoyed his attention? Would she let him watch her again?. He pictured her eyes, set on him, lustful and daring, it made him lightly grunt, the mere image of it was enough to make him harder.

 

His breath became shallow and the desire too much, he sped up and soon after he was feeling his climax approach, he wanted to feel her, to make her his. He moaned her name just like she had in the dreams and his whole body tensed as release came into his hands.

 

Too relaxed to move he stayed that way for a few minutes, quiet and baffled at his own actions, his own come as evidence of his weakness.

 

He finally stood up and made way to the refresher to wash away his soiled body, and maybe, even the shame.

*

 

 With a clearer mind and some tension… released, he set on to examine the charts that he’d found along some plans for an apparent laboratory in the desolate planet of Jakku. The whole thing was very dubious, yet pieces of information kept popping up in other data logs, as if the information had been long discussed  or it had been of utmost importance.

He leaned back on his chair, slightly rocking it, to think about his options. Things had finally settled down after the security breach, Hux had been awfully quiet —though it didn't strike him as something to feel comfortable about—but he still was less and less in a mood to deal with him. His knights had also settled down —or at least most of them— Takkik remained a wild card, as Maro and Dalmar had failed to get her favor, she was stubborn as she was his fiercest fighter. If he wanted to know more a field trip was required, maybe it was or wasn’t the best moment to do it, things were both stable yet one had to remain ... wary.

 

Kylo eyed the name tag on the galaxy chart he’d been using. The words in basic were very clear, Jakku. It was Rey’s home planet, if one could even call the place where one had been abandoned to it's luck a home. His thoughts wandered about what had her life been like in that place: how had she survived, had she been alone all that time? What did she do to compensate for the loneliness… and like following a river, his mind placed him next to her in one of her many lonely nights, he was holding her close to him, whispering sweet nothings to lull her to sleep after a particularly difficult day, he was there to make her feel less lonely. He could smell oil and sweat in her hair, he could feel her coarse skin from the sand… he could—

 

Slam!

 

Kylo fell hard on the durasteel floor, the chair bringing him down and thus hitting his head. He placed his hand on the growing bump on his head and bit back the tears, groaned both at the pain and the harsh comeback to reality. He felt the haze of the memories come to him, distant and blurry yet… real? He rubbed the tips of his fingers together, confused at how real the sensation of sand covered skin had been. What kind of new development was this? How was it that he could feel the lingering warmth of her body like some sort of long lost feeling? He closed his hand into a fist and stood up.

And as he stood tall a Holo projector fell and lit, showing the same map he’d been analyzing for days, only this time it was lit in an odd angle and the planets and stars had apparently rearranged, giving Kylo a completely new view of it. He picked up his data pad and crouched on the floor to better read the map without disturbing it, not only was the place in Jakku, it was actually very close to the place where he had found Lor San Tekka. It was now or never.

 

Having made up his mind — he ordered his TIE Silencer to be ready through the comm link—  he picked up his cloak and made way to the hangar. If he was going to pay a visit to the desolate planet in order to find answers, he had to do it now. If he waited any longer, things would become more complicated. The more he thought about it, the more reasons he had to go. He would have to inform his knights hastily before departing, they would understand.

 

As he walked down the corridors, the unmistakably ginger head appeared at the end of it, making Kylo’s innards churn with disgust, how he hated that man. They silently walked towards each other with nothing but the echoing sound of their boots to fill in the thick and heavy tension that they formed, their faces telling the whole story —traces of bruising still visible on Hux’s face and Kylo’s eyes sunken by sleepless nights—  of their own devices.

 

As they passed each other, they barely grunted as a signal of acknowledgment and sparks would’ve been visible if it was possible. Kylo turned on his comm to send a message to his Knights, action that he paused as he felt a small disturbance in the Force, he stopped dead on his tracks and turned back to see Hux’s back disappear at the corner… He was glad to see that and shook off the uneasiness to continue his path.

 

Once in the hangar, one of the mechanics indicated him that his ship was ready and Kylo opened the direct channel to his Knights in the commlink.

 

“My Knights…” Kylo began, as he walked to his ship, “I will be gone from Coruscant for a few days. I’ve found information that I can no longer ignore”, he paused “It might be helpful in the future” for an excruciatingly long time, the channel was silent. He had just gotten into the cockpit of the ship when it finally sprang to life, but with the voice he least expected to hear.

 

“Are you coming back?” came the voice of Takkik, she had kept her distance since her outburst in the training room, and had barely made an appearance to training, Kylo had let it go trying to give her space. And now, he needed them more than ever for strength.

 

“Of course I am” he said. “And in my absence… Keep the cur at bay” and immediately the comm link came to life with an unisonous “Yes, Master”.

 

Kylo let show a small smirk and ignited the propulsors.

 

_____ . _____

 

Not far from there, Hux was pondering deep in thought in his chambers, it had taken him a while to come around the idea, but he had finally made up his mind about it and he was going to do it today.  

Ren had been too busy burrowing himself either in the library or in his room, serving the purpose of keeping himself at bay of his plans. With the information that he had obtained from his guards, he was more than certain that he would destroy the little charade that Kylo Ren had been enveloping the First Order in. Finally, after holding his ground for so long, his efforts would come to fruition and the First Order would see Kylo for what he was. He smirked.

 

Everything was slowly falling into place just like he had planned, his chest swelled in pride and just as his smile was growing more smugly, it faltered at the reminder of the last missing piece. Maybe military would ultimately crush the mystical arts Ren and the knights followed, but if he took a chance at them, the possibilities of not making it in one piece became higher, he remembered the stories his father had once told him about Darth Vader, whom was feared across the galaxy, yet Hux was unable to fathom how a creature like that would even be respected.

 

He knew that they only seeked power, and simple creatures like that could be easily manipulated. If he showed the Knights the weakness of their master, they would be quick to desert him in favor of a stronger one.

 

Hux returned his sight to the screen where a grainy video played on a loop —information that had been brought by one of his informants where faint voices could be heard.

 

_“I can’t deny what I feel for her, I have accepted that. Though I can’t deny my allegiance to you for her— it's more complicated than I would like but that's how it is. Give me time Dalmar…”_

 

Hux’s first reaction was purely visceral, but like the strategist he was, he quickly turned the situation to his advantage. He hadn’t only kept and eye on Kylo, the rest of the knights were also under heavy surveillance. He knew what an obvious move that was, yet it was precisely that which worked to his favor and it was finally yielding results.

His informant had not lied when he said how valuable this piece of information was, not only did it show that Kylo was a traitor but also that one of his beloved knights was in on it too. It would be the perfect strategy to divide them, he only had to approach the right knight.

 

Everything was falling into place.

 *

 

 When Kylo abruptly left, Hux knew that he would not have such a precious opportunity like this again, so decided to put the plan into motion. Just like he had been watching the knights they had also kept an eye on him, he’d already become familiar with the one that was on such duty. As time had gone by, he’d discovered that he had a tendency to be the most solitary and until recently he’d barely seen him with the other ones. He knew something had happened and he was going to profit from that.

 

“TS-3451, tell the Knight at the corridor to come in and leave us alone” the soldier nodded an exited. Few minutes later, the doors opened again and instead of the soldier, a black figure stood tall and formidable, maybe even scary thought Hux.

 

“What is it, general Hux” came the distorted voice of the knight from behind him. He erased the smug smile from his face and turned to see the Knight.

 

“I will go straight to the point.  You and I — we have nothing in common but I now possess information that will bring us together in a common interest.” Hux said, confident of his speech. The knight cocked it’s head to a side.

 

“What can you have that would interest me?” asked the knight, annoyed.

 

“If I may…” said Hux, moving aside and signaling with one hand to the screen behind him. The knight slowly moved forward, his heavy feet the only thing that could be heard.

The video began playing and silence fell like a heavy fog. The Force around Takkik grew so tense that even Hux began to feel it.

 

Takkik began heaving under the helmet and tightened her fists, something that Hux noticed.

 

All the pieces were falling into place.

 

_____ . _____

 

With the new alterations to Kylo’s ship, his trip had been significantly shorter and arrived to Jakku in a Coruscant standard day instead of the expected two.

 

Landing was no issue at all, since large parts of Jakku were desolate for miles and miles. With a target in mind, Kylo felt it as clear as a Naboo pond, the disturbance in the Force in this place was strong and clear, something dark and evil lurked here but it didn't surprise him, if a sith had been here such instability was to be expected.

As he set foot on the sand, the arid heat and dry air made themselves present, to the far distance  a sand storm could be seen. He grimaced and wrapped his cowl around his head and face. With the hoverbike ready he hopped on, if he was to make it he had to hurry.

 

After going for at least twenty minutes, sand was already in places he didn’t know possible, his clothes were drenched in sweat, and he was getting closer to his target as he could see some sort of cylindrical structure in the distance, he checked the map projector or at least attempted to— the sand was making everything go haywire— and confirmed that that was indeed where he was headed.

 

He arrived in less than ten minutes, he stopped by the perimeter and reached with the Force, and that dark presence he’d felt upon landing was even stronger there. He moved forward to look for an entrance, when he stretched his hand and pulled it apart with the Force.

 

Once inside, the leftover dark energy was dense and heavy, making it hard to breathe but not impossible, so he moved about carefully. The intense light that flooded the place showed shelves and machines covered in sand after years of neglect, but it looked very normal overall, this was not what he was looking for, so he began tapping walls and floors until he found what he came for. A hollow space. He pried it open but as soon as he entered, the door forced itself shut. It was absolute darkness. He tried again to get a feeling of the place by the Force only to discover it was useless here as the energy was too thick to feel anything else, he was blind.

 

The suffocating feeling began to transform in claustrophobia: he couldn't see, he could find his way and his senses were dampened. His breathing hitched and he shrank to his knees, holding his head in his hands, memories of his punishments with Snoke flooding his memory, panic starting to get ahold of him.

 

But a memory came to him. Rey’s glistening face under the fire light came forth, her eyes looking at him intently, then more came. Suddenly, his panic was dissipating, his strengh coming back to him. This time, Kylo pulled on the light side of the Force to find his way. It felt like a gulp of fresh air within this miasma of darkness, he could now feel his whereabouts. He pulled out his map projector and used it as a spare light. The place was cluttered, as if left in a hurry, but some things remained in good conditions, he extended his hand and felt the dark presence as clear as day. Suddenly, a vision came.

 

Darth Vader was standing in front of the projector, speaking to a hooded figure.

 

_“My apprentice, the Skywalker blood must remain, if we cannot have the son of Anakin Skywalker then we will have another chance. I’ve found the perfect place in the galaxy...!”_

 

_“Where master?” said the mechanical voice._

 

Kylo opened his eyes and gasped, the voices still in his head. All of a sudden, he became too aware of himself, his body ached form the constant effort, his hair was damp over his forehead and his senses were overwhelmed.

He placed himself in front of the projector again and got it running, it was slow but it was functioning. A message chip was still inserted to the dashboard and he pushed it so it began playing. The distorted voices because of the years were still discernible enough.

 

_“You are late Snoke” said the hooded figure, that Kylo identified as the late Emperor._

 

_“My apologies, My Lord” an unrecognizable Snoke stood in front of the emperor, looking milleniums younger. He bowed._

 

_“Stand and give me what belongs to me” said the voice of the emperor._

 

Snoke extends his hand and a small triangular object floated away form his hand towards the emperor, whose were eyes greedy for it. Yet the projection abruptly cut and the machine finally collapsed.

 

Kylo looked around, hysteric, he needed to find that object. If it was what he thought, then…

 

If he wanted to find the little object he would have to pull on the dark side again but this time, he would use it to his advantage. He opened himself to it, giving into his fears and felt the energy flood his body, this time when he extended his hand, he felt everything that surrounded him and then felt the spark of energy from the little artifact attract him and walked towards it.

Against the wall, in the furthest corner of the place, he felt a hollow space and the energy was spiking there, he tore it open and when he opened his eyes it was in his hand.

 

A sith holocron.

He had only read texts about them and never actually encountered one, but the artifact tempted him and asked him to open it. He did, while focusing all his energy on it and letting it flow through the crevices of it until it yielded, the voice of his late master resounded through the room:

 

“The last of the Skywalker legacy will be weak and will easily succumb to the dark side. Born to the princess of Alderaan, he will have raw power to his command and he who controls that power will have a fearsome weapon. But destruction comes with the Skywalker line, and inevitable, failure too”

 

Darkness will rise and so will it’s equal in the Light. Unaware of it, the hand holding the holocron began to tremble along with the objects surrounding him.

 

It was a lie…. Everything had been a lie. A lie.

 

Kylo fell to his knees, anger consuming him like a vicious venom and the holocron began sucking him dry, he shutted it to stop the energy flow and his anger was let loose. He screamed in agony and fury, his whole body shaking and everything around him began to succumb to the pressure of his unleashed power, the building too began to give away and huge chunks of walls and ceiling began to fall all around him but he remained uninjured, a phantom barrier of the Force protecting him. His body shook and tears streamed down his face upon the bitter realization.

 

The sandstorm had already reached the building and the sheer strength of the winds began to tear apart what little Kylo had left. The Force was still surrounding him when he got to his hoverbike and left the forsaken ruins.

 

Just as he arrived to his ship, he realized he was still heaving, anger aflame inside of him. Yet amongst the pain and suffering inside of him, a bright light shone through. Everything had been a lie… except her. And like a wish come true, that humm he was so familiar with came forth. He snapped his head around and there she was.

 

_____ . _____

 

Rey sat silently in her room, trying to meditate but her mind was drifting constantly to what she had done this morning. It was already late afternoon in Dantooine and she hadn’t been able to get a single thing done. She still couldn’t figure out what had taken her over to do such a thing, but the thrill of it still gave her goosebumps. Ben’s baffled eyes made her squirm in a way that was completely new to her, he’d stared with his mouth ajar afraid to move but she had been able to feel his arousal through the bond.

 

Yet part of Rey was still afraid to sleep, one would think that after facing her demons like that, fear wouldn’t be an issue anymore yet there she was: Trying to meditate to calm herself down and to dissect her feelings. The one that shone like a blinding sun was her desire to see him. Once she was true to her feelings, the need to be closer to him bloomed inside her like a garden. A garden that she couldn't ignore that required attention and care, one that she was now willingly nurturing. It made her feel whole… most of the time. As the cold truth came at times like a winter storm, it reminded her of why they couldn’t be together.

The resistance was her family now, she’d never felt so welcome in her life and didn’t dare to disturb that peace. Luke hadn’t been a great example about belonging and Ben’s alternative wasn't an option either, it was an endless loop of doubt and uncertainty.

 

On the positive side, her training had been going wonderfully, now with C3PO’s help, she had discovered more about the old Jedi texts, which randomly spoke about the gray of the Force, she didn’t fully understand it yet, it sounded very similar to the dark side but not wholly. Although, what had caught her attention the most was the existence of holocrons, vessels of knowledge forged by Jedi masters in order to pass it on to the worthy. As much as she had tried, Luke had not manifested himself again, her hopes to see her late master again were almost nonexistent now. All of this, kept her awake, swirling into a typhoon of endless questions without answers.

 

Just as she was getting relaxed, a familiar hum broke her concentration, her whole body became alert and her heart began to beat excruciatingly fast. His silhouette began to appear and Rey stood up in anticipation. Just as he materialized he spun around to see her.

He was looking terrible, his hair was glued to his face and he was covered in dirt and sand, his handsome face was contorted in a grimace of anger, his eyes like a madman's were surrounded by dark circles, giving him an overall grim appearance. Secondly, she noticed his breathing was overexerted, as if he had been running.

Rey walked towards him and reached to grab his right hand, Kylo quickly answered the gesture by pulling her closer and getting a hold of both her hands, enclosing them completely with his huge ones.

 

“Ben… what happened?” She weakly asked, concerned and afraid.

 

“I…” he began, his heavy breathing barely subsiding. “I need to see you Rey” his voice was desperate, needy. But he didn't give her much time.

 

“Meet me in Takodana, where I first captured you. I will be there in two standard days”  and like he had expected it, the bond closed and Rey was left alone holding ghost's hands.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh boooy!!!  
> Clifhanger? Naaaah, I don't think so. Will Rey go or not? There's a lot at risk but her boi needs her. What will happen next? I hope it doesnt take me that long next time... In the meantime me and my co-author will continue plotting and preparing further development of this fic... and alsooo, we've been thinking of a detective au fic... but we need to finish this first!!. Ignore my rant!   
> You can find me in tumblr as "Mrsmancuspia"
> 
> Thanks again!  
> Feedback is loveee


	17. Chapter 17

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things start to get more and more tangled. Kylo escapes to see his "girl" (or so he says). Rey asks for help, Leia makes people uncomfortable, and Finn and Poe keep being oblivious. Oh and Lando boy has a laugh.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I AM SO SORRY!!!! THESE PAST WEEKS HAVE BEEN A DISASTER! I know we promised weekly update but this had gotten out of hand, like really D:  
> So... I had a car accident... everything's all right! I just got a teensy weensy bruise. But that complicated things for about a week :/.  
> On the other hand, I have more clases at the University where I'm working, buuuut... that shortens my writing time, so even if my co-author had long finished the draft I had it gahtering dust in my lap, and for that I'm very sorry :C. 
> 
> I promise next chapter won't take as long!
> 
> To compensate, a reaaaaaally long chapter cuz I just couldn't leave a thing out!

_Flashback_

 

_Even though she had been relaxed during her meditation, she couldn’t shrug off the the feeling of uneasiness._

 

_“I have to see you Rey” his words lingered in her mind like a heavy fog. Clouding her every thought with one sole command, one that made her feelings burst, overpowering her effortlessly._

 

She had to see him too.

 

His hands were cold and damp when they clutched hers, almost afraid of losing the connection in that instant, she clung to them with the same motion. Almost like he knew, as soon as he uttered where he could see her, the connection broke.

 

Rey was left in a confused daze, staring into the wall as she processed all the information. Ben's emotions still swirling within her as if they were her own… or maybe they were. She placed one hand on her chest and lightly closed it over that place that ached, they were both aware of their feelings… right?

 

She tightly closed her eyes and searched for the truth inside her, part of her knew that it was all true, that the Force commanded it so. Her human heart was afraid and broken, unable to fully trust herself to let go. Yet every time she looked into his eyes she knew it was there, and he knew it too.

 

There was only one way to do this.

 

Considering the distance from Dantooine to Takodana, she would have to depart immediately, so she picked up a few things: a comm, extra clothes,, her saberstaff; this time she was not leaving it behind. She extended her hand to take it and hesitated, what kind of message would she send if she arrived armed? But she shrugged it off and took it, certain that it wouldn't go to that. With the mere basic objects packed she looked at herself in the mirror… her clothes were oil stained and torn in places. She had never been very self conscious about her appearance, in Jakku there wasn't much time to worry about that. Yet there she was, slightly blushing at the thought of Ben examining her clothes. She couldn't have that, so she changed.

 

She opted for a deep gray shirt and white bands, she had found her favorite pair of gray pants —good things had happened when she wore them— and combined them with black trail boots. She looked at herself and felt more confident.

 

With all set, she hesitantly eyed a tiny, dingy black box beside her night mirror, she made a pause before brusquely grabbing it.

 

Then again… she could fool Poe or Finn, as they were very trusting of her —which just made her even more guilty— but Leia was the only one that saw right through her with little effort.

 

She gripped her things and made way to the hangars.

*

 

Poe was making the daily check up for the ships status, once they had gotten back to their feet, it was crucial to salvage and repair those that had been the most damaged. With no upcoming missions and almost no communication with Velmor after their visit, he was beginning to panic that they had chosen to side with the First Order. While it would be no difference to the First Order’s vast array of planets, it could be a decisive alliance for the Resistance. He sighed and kept on with his task —wishful thinking wasn't going to solve anything— the best they could do now was to wait.

 

As he made way to Lando’s ship, he saw movement that got him into alert mode, a defector? Now? He hid behind one ship and peeked around it to find… Lando.He huffed in relief and walked towards him with a cheerful tone.

 

“General Lando! What are you doing?” said Poe, inadvertently startling Lando, who dropped the tools he was using. He turned  around and greeted him

 

“Maker, Poe! My old heart can’t take it anymore, delicacy!” said Lando, half chuckling with one hand over his chest while he lightly heaved from the scare. Poe approached, picking up the wrench Lando had dropped.

 

“I can’t stay that long here Poe, I come and go but eventually I have to stay in Bespin, its not healthy to travel so much at my age. But what do you know? You were basically born in a cockpit! Ha ha!” said Lando and finished with a hearty chuckle that Poe could only imitate

 

“And what are you two gentleman up to?” came the all too known voice of Leia. Poe turned to see her and for a moment as she slowly walked towards them heavily supporting herself on the cane, he realized how time went by, how her time was going by.

 

Poe dissipated those thoughts and pushed forward a smile.

“Well what are you doing all the way out here? Shouldn’t you be resting?” he pointed out the obvious, although he was indeed worried. Leia swatted the air to dismiss Poe’s question.

 

“I feel good enough to come and see off my old friend. Or are you even going to deny me that?” said Leia in a challenging tone and Poe wasn’t about to argue with the woman, so he simply lifted his hands in defeat and moved sideways to let her pass.

 

“Stubborn as always, aren't you?” said Lando, with a thread of melancholy in his voice. “I’m sorry for leaving like this, but you know I’m bad with goodbyes” he said, with a charming smile. Leia merely answered with a smile that Lando returned with a hug. They held each other tightly, holding on to the few pieces of their past that they had left. They separated slowly and smiled, then Lando turned to Poe.

 

“Well boy, I’m off” he said, and pulled Poe into a bear hug. Poe gasped slightly and chuckled.

 

“Thank you so much Lando, with all that you have given the Resistance… We wouldn’t have done it without you” admitted Poe. “Hopefully we’ll be able to move the base soon, we can’t get too comfy with the First Order on our heels” he finished, with a happy tone about it all.Things were finally looking up.

 

“Don’t worry General, I’m sure you would’ve made it anyways I just gave you a boost. Now, If you’ll excuse me, I want to make it home for dinner” with that, Lando boarded his ship and was leaving the planet after a few minutes. Poe turned to see Leia, who was distracted by something else.

 

“What is it Gen- Leia.?” questioned Poe while biting his tongue, some habits were hard to break.

 

“Rey’s coming this way… can you please find Finn and tell him to ready a small ship?” said Leia, making Poe lift an eyebrow.

 

“But… Finn isn’t in repair duty… he can barely use a wrench” wondered Poe, he was now squinting in confusion. More confused about her request for Finn than the ship.

 

“Oh well, you can do it fine by yourself then” said Leia nonchalantly and began walking away. Leaving Poe to consider his options… Well, he was probably going to need help so...

 

As soon as Poe had left her sight, a voice called her from behind and Leia already knew what to say. Like always.

 

“Why are you so nervous Rey?” asked Leia knowingly, delighted to see Rey all surprised, she never got tired of people’s surprised looks when they were caught like that.

 

“Leia! How… I… Right, right. I know. It always surprises me” Rey finally said, feeling embarrassed at how dense she could be.

 

“Don’t worry about it, I too forget sometimes” jocked Leia offering a gentle smile. Rey mimicked her and relaxed. “So, what is it that you need so desperately”

 

“I… I need to leave Dantooine… I… I have to see him” said Rey, unsure of how the woman would react, she had been very understanding through it all but this...this could be just too much. And maybe it was, Leia’s face hardened and she looked away, placing a hand over her mouth. Rey’s stomach sank, she had misunderstood how Leia viewed the whole situation, maybe she had really given up on her son and she had just been indulging Rey, protecting her from disappointment. How could she have been so stupid, so dumb, so naïve-

 

“Did you… ask him?” finally asked Leia, her emotions raw now. The glimmer of hope in her eyes so bright that it brought new youth to her features.

 

“No… It was he who came to me, through the bond…” she began, she looked down and remembered his sunken eyes, so desperate and sorrowful, still boring a hole into her soul. She looked up and shared the same worried look with Leia “Something was off, he was off. Something bad happened, and I need to help him” Rey’s voice broke, betraying her and she looked away, unable to face Leia like that. With that Leia saw what Rey had been trying to hide so desperately.

 

Just then did she clearly see that this woman, the last jedi in existence, was in love with the Supreme Leader and successor of the Empire, her son. All kinds of emotions flared within her, scandalized and overjoyed, terrified and hopeful. How could such a union be? The things that would have to change and happen…however like the strategist she was, Leia saw how adequate almost poetic it could be. The Jedi had failed and the sith knew nothing of peace, could the answer to the eternal conflict be found..with them?

 

She quickly interrupted that idea. She couldn't take it for granted, but Rey trusted her son enough to travel and meet him, so it was good enough for her. Her mind got working, trying to figure out how Rey could leave unnoticed, instantly figuring out what had to be done.

 

“Rey, you need to go to the merchant, our contact from Lando” said Leia, so suddenly it took Rey a little more to grasp the plan. Leia paintently looked at Rey, awaiting her moment of realization and when it came, Rey let out a long ‘oh’.

 

“Perfect, I'll give you the coordinates so you meet him along the way of your other errands, ok?” She said while eyeing her. “I think you should be done with that in about three or four days, right?” she finished with one last glance. Rey nodded, still surprised at how willing Leia had behaved, she would not let it go to waste. Now the mission to bring Ben back to the Light was more than just about her.

 

“Leia… I don’t know what to say..” started Rey, but was cut-off by Finn.

 

“Ladies! I heard someone needed a ship” came the loud voice of Rey’s best friend. She panicked.

 

“That would be me” said Leia, to what Finn answered with a quizzical look. She just smiled. “I have given Rey a special mission, it will hopefully give us some leverage if all goes well” Leia said, the words coming swiftly and relaxed. Even Rey would have bought it had she not been onto it. Finn smiled with worry was plastered all over his face, he worried too much.

They followed Finn to the “small ship” that Rey was going to take. Just as she was about to board, Leia softly pulled her into a hug.

 

“Help him, but don’t lose yourself in the way, my child” said Leia to Rey’s ear, she nodded and hugged her back.

 

 _____ . _____

 

Kylo had left Jakku a day ago.

 

His body and mind were still severely agitated for what he had found in the godforsaken planet. Emotions within him were raging intensively, gnawing at him, slowly burning him from the inside out. He could feel himself at the verge of collapsing, barely keeping it together.

 

Had it all been for nothing? Fifteen years faithfully dedicated to Snoke, to the dark side, to his destiny as Darth Vader’s successor, only to find out that he had been lured to play the role of a sacrificial lamb, meant to die and take with him the Skywalker bloodline. Bitterness began rising in his throat and a beastlike roar emerged instead. He let go and screamed his lungs out, with no one to see him, alone in the emptiness of hyperspace. He fiercely screamed, unaware that tears had begun flowing freely down his cheeks, unhindered. His knees buckled and he fell hard on them, slamming his fists on the floor, which slightly sunk under the pressure of the Force.

 

Kylo kept screaming, his throat beginning to feel raw —he couldn’t care any less— and just kept banging the floor like a wild beast, which was now notably yielding to his rage.

The thick tears quickly became sobs that began wrecking his body relentlessly, and slowly his intake of air was limited, making him cough. It was only then that he stopped from further damaging his ship, and a throbbing pain started rising up to his shoulders.

 

Here, in the middle of nowhere and alone, for the first time in the Force knows how long, Kylo Ren, the Jedi killer, shamelessly wept. With his forehead to the floor, he put his hands on his head and grabbed fistfuls of hair, scratching and pulling desperately.  His sobs echoed in the small ship and the Force made it vibrate dangerously, mimicking his own trembling body.

 

Darkness began shrouding around him like a heavy fog, just like in Jakku, making it harder to breathe, choking him once more.

 

Small spark ignited within him, the sole reason he was going to Takodana. Enough reason to stand.

He stood up with difficulty, his body sore and tired from the internal turmoil, still heaving and with sobs still fighting to get out of his lungs. Power and prowess seemed worthless now, useless even. He leaned against a wall and sighed heavily, what was the point of keeping on this path? Was it even something he had chosen willingly, had he ever had free will?

 

The answer was Yes. There was something that defied everything, something that had been his own choice from the beginning. Not something but someone,

 

Rey.

 

It helped him gather the strength to stand straight and make way to the refresher, the trip to Jakku had left him with a thin layer of sand in places that hadn’t even been exposed to it.

 

His clothes fell messily as he walked towards the bathroom, his steps clumsy and heavy, he was exhausted, the only thing that could keep him going was her. He couldn’t explain how had it come to this, but part of him rejoiced at the small glimmer of hope that shone within him and he begrudgingly welcomed it.

 

*

 

When Kylo set foot on the ground, he breathed in the musky and moist smell of the forest that was Takodana, relishing in the refreshing smell from nature instead of the air cleaner from the ships. There were some things he just couldn’t deny.

 

Once he familiarized with his surroundings once more, he proceeded to open himself to the Force of the planet. Reaching out to feel all the living things in the planet: insects, plants, creatures of all sizes, it’s people and… Like a scared creature, he retracted himself and hid his Force signature, feeling stupid for opening himself to where aunt Ma- Where Maz Kanata dwelled.

 

He had to be more careful, he couldn't see any more familiar faces again.

As he was getting concentrated, his comlink sparked to life making him visibly flinch, thankfully there was no one to see it. Nobody had spoken to Kylo since he had left Coruscant and the sudden contact made him uneasy, his hand hovered over it hoping it would blink again — and it did.

 

He unstrapped it from his belt and turned on his channel, muttering a code to confirm his identity. Immediately after, Dalmar’s voice came through.

 

“Master, are you well?” the tone came as a matter-of-factly “There has been no movement that we suspect of so far, though Hux has been barely active. Our only worry is that he approached Takkik recently and used your absence to send her away. She has contacted us and will be back shortly” Dalmar’s voice went quiet and then was replaced with white noise. Kylo answered back with a curt note.

 

“I will be back in two days approximately, I will address that when I return” and with that, he closed his channel once more. The less communication the better, he didn’t want Hux hot on his trail now.

 

In the lively quiet of the forest again, Kylo attuned his Force signature to find Rey, instead of just reaching out, he would try to focus on their bond and open it, maybe proximity helped them this time. And so he did.

 

Like holding a strand of hair, their bond extended delicately in the Force letting out almost an imperceptible signature. When he had tracked her in Coruscant, he had felt her mostly, the bond had been in second plane. But this time the bond was alive on its own, feeble yet stronger than before. How much more would this go on, wondered Kylo...

 

He extended his hand and breathed out as he attempted to hold what seemed to be that connection that joined them.

 

_____ . _____

 

 

“Where did Rey go this time? I thought she was busy training?” asked Finn to Leia, they were walking down the hangar while watching Poe work on another ship.

 

“She has gone to Belnar to meet up with that pesky merchant Lando told us about. He was very adamant to speak to the so rumored Jedi” and gave Finn a gentle smile, mentally making note of how convincing she sounded. Only few people could decipher her lies and truths. The only thing left was to add a disruptor.

Finn just nodded, completely buying the story. He was about to add on to it, but Leia interrupted him quickly.

 

“So... Is any one of you going to tell me?” said Leia as if she’d been giving follow up to a previous conversation. Finn merely stared unsure what he had missed. He blinked a few times, hoping she would complete the missing information, but that never came.

 

“I uh… what?” he said. Leia smiled, delighted he had fallen to his net.

 

“I'm sorry, I just thought… you and Poe…” she coyly said, sure that it would intrigue Finn even more, an it did.

 

“Poe and me what? I don’t follow you, Leia” said the poor man.

 

“Oh well I thought that you and Poe… Well, that you were together, can you believe that? I apologize, it must be the age. I see things that aren't there. Forgive me dear” said Leia in her most gentle and sweet voice. Finn was just dumbfounded while his face gained color, his eyes wide as plates. If he had been drinking something he would’ve showered Leia. He nodded mechanically and she left him standing alone as she went to her room.

 

“Hey buddy, what’s wrong?” said Poe gently from behind. Finn stared at him for a little before saying anything.

 

“I uh, nothing, nothing, really. It’s nothing” he said too many reasurements, making Poe look at him suspiciously.

 

“Right… Well, I wanted to discuss the possibility of sending a scouting team back to Canto Bight, Rose has been very insistent on the topic and I think I know what to do now” Finn tried to engage himself in the conversation, even as Leia's words still resonated on his mind.

 

It was only when Poe put his arm around his shoulders to take him to another place that he noticed the warm feeling rising in his chest.

 

Could it be?

 *

  
Rey felt a pang in her chest, a familiar ache alongside the gentle hum of the bond, she turned around and there he was.

 

“Rey, I have arrived. Show me where you are” she didn’t know how, but the body remembers and so does the mind. She stepped closer to where he was and tiptoed in front of him, their faces too close for her weak heart and placed her forehead on his, projecting her surroundings to him.

He quietly gasped, maybe because of the closeness or the contact or just all of it. When they separated he vanished.

 

Amongst the images Rey showed, she threw in the direction she would move to, two kilometers east to where she was, which was another fifteen kilometers from Maz’s castle.

 

Rey picked up a small satchel and her mind began to work furiously.

 

This was the first time they would see each other after Crait. She had experienced so much with him and yet so little. She began fiddling with her hair, and realized it was at least two inches longer now, usually too focused on other things, it was only then that she was becoming overly aware of her physical appearance. What would he think when he saw her, what would he feel? Would he like her? Was she looking well? Questions that didn’t have answers and she didn't know if she ever wanted to be answered.  

 

Rey was used to long walks under the Jakku sun yet this one felt by far the longest, with her heart beating incessantly, her legs became more and more sluggish with each step, she was what some would consider a mess.

Although the longest walk ended pretty fast, she was still surprised, she was now standing in front of the spot where she first encountered the masked… _monster._ The conflict within her grew as she attempted to understand. How was the man that had shown her tenderness be the same as the one that had captured her that day? That question would not be answered today.

 

Rey stopped dead on her tracks as a shadow amongst the trees began moving differently, she squinted trying to see what it was yet she knew deep inside _who_ it was.

 

Both his Force signature and sight hit her at the same time, appearing from the west was Ben. He was wearing a black cowl with matching robes, it barely resembled his old one, but it was all black nonetheless. He was looking around, already too late when his name escaped her lips.

 

“Ben” she said softly, loud enough for him to notice since he turned around in her direction. He spotted her and stopped dead on this tracks. This was, she could see, his tired face: dark circles around his eyes, his hair was considerably longer. She blushed.

 

Fear began pooling in her stomach and time slowed down considerably. They looked at each other for what felt like an eternity, neither of them daring to get closer, afraid that if they did, the illusion would end and all of this would come out as a sick joke from the Universe.

 

Kylo was the first one to move, he barely inched closer but that gave Rey the motivation she needed to move forward as well. As the distance closed, Kylo’s strides became wider and faster— yet fighting back the urge to run towards her— he could now see her more clearly, her clothes were different, her hair too. Suddenly they were meters away from each other, just staring, nervous.

Her hair looked beautiful like that, sitting comfortably on her shoulders, her eyes burning with yearning, her lips so full and-

 

Rey started to close the distance between them, Kylo felt his heart beat faster, his breath hitched. She looked at her bewildered, anxious, excited, another thousand feelings crushing his chest too. He felt her small hand on his chest, her eyes boring holes into his, yet he couldn’t pull away, too enthralled and unwilling to do so. It startled him when her left hand gently touched his face, hesitant but he leaned onto the touch and sighed at how familiar the sensation felt. He opened his eyes again and she was still there.

Without further ado, his right hand grabbed her by the waist and gently pulled her closer and he could feel her Force signature out of control, just like his. All distance between them was lost as  he leaned down to end it all.

 

 *

 

 Ben’s soft lips. Ben’s beautifully plush lips. Ben’s warm lips.

 

Rey let out a small gasp when Ben closed the remaining distance between them. His lips were sweet like that first fruit she ever tasted, the Forced humed harmonically around them, pulling them together stronger than ever before. They split momentarily, her name in the air.

 

“Rey…” he said yearningly and pulled her back again to a kiss yet this time was with more intention, decisive and needy. Rey happily complied.

 

Although this second kiss was different. Full of need and passion, resembling more those from their dreams, Ben tentatively opened his mouth and nipped at her lower lip, eliciting delicious sparks from her chest, she retorted by nipping his plush lower lip and he let out a delicious and hungry growl.He pulled apart with less grace this time and pleadingly stared, his eyes dark with something Rey had seen before that only now she understood. Desire.

 

“Rey… I can’t.” he looked away blushing. Rey was nervous, was he regretting this? Did she misunderstand?, was he… “Rey, I can’t hold on. I need you” and all doubt was ushered away. She shyly held his gaze and nodded, he waited no longer.

 

Ben’s lips kissed her again, his arms pulling her as close as he could, she felt his desperation to eliminate any space between them. Kissing and caressing was all they could think about. The forest was witness to the quiet moans and sighs that they let out as they discovered new sensations, moving slowly until they were against a tree. Ben lowered his hands and boldly grabbed her buttcheeks, gripping them firmly and pulling her towards him, she moaned at the sensation and then yelped at another.

 

“Ben…” she said as she looked down. She had felt it before, if only in dreams. It felt so new, his erection was pinned between them prodding her abdomen, warm and firm.

 

“I told you… I can’t hold on” he said, suddenly embarrassed but Rey answered by wrapping her leg around him and pulling him closer. It was him who moaned this time, almost like a guttural growl.

 

“Please Ben… Like in our dreams… please” was all that Rey could manage out as she was drowning in the intoxicating sensations. His hips were grinding her and the tip of his erection had begun to rub her on that exact spot between her legs that she knew so well, already soaking wet with need. He grinded her, his mouth traveling down to her neck, where he kissed and sucked, enjoying all the sounds that Rey could make.  As his hands caressed her butt and waist, one venturing higher to find her left breast, surprised to find no breast band. _How bold_ , he thought. Rey couldn’t help the yearning she felt for it and it was soon answered as he quickly began massaging it, making her gasp at the sensation. Motivated by the sounds she was making, Ben tentatively pinched her already erect nipple through the cloth and it made her cry out his name. He picked her up and pushed her against the tree for support and tried a new angle. He pushed his already sore erection against that spot which was already soaked and hot and the effect was instant. Rey was a moaning mess, bucking her hips shamelessly, too absorbed in all this new sensations to care, feeling herself gushing from arousal, her nipples sore from the lack of proper attentions and the friction of her shirt.

 

“Ben… please” she said, grabbing Ben’s attention, who was dumbfounded as she began lifting her own shirt. He stared with his mouth half open as a pair of rosy, freckled nipples appeared in sight, it was mouthwatering. He looked at her like a wounded animal, torn between putting her down or pinching her needy nipples. Good thing he was a creative man.

Not tearing apart his eyes from hers, he bent down to lick one of her nipples pulling a needy gasp from her. Loving the lustful stare he was getting form Rey, he proceeded to nip it she was a knot. Rey’s moans became even louder, her body was trembling form desire alone and Ben could already feel the moisture form her core.

 

He enveloped her nipple with his mouth and grinded her furiously. They were so immersed in it that they didn’t hear Ben’s commlink buzzing or the trembling of the ground around them. Rey felt it, that familiar knot twist in her core, her body tense, she was so close and Ben was too. With a few more thrusts, they came.

Heavily panting, Ben placed his sweat beaded forehead on Rey’s, who was trying to catch her breath too. He slowly put her down and relished how their breathing encompassed together.

 *

 

 Rey woke up in the middle of the night, as her eyes caught glimpse of her surroundings she tensed. Everything was gray and dark —with barely any light visible— the walls were made of steel, little dots of red light glimmered all over it, it all felt oddly familiar even the smell of new machinery. She stayed still, frozen, her eyes darting everywhere and her mind replaying the most recents events until...oh. She had rendez-vous with Ben in Takodana and then… .She blushed at the rush of memories and her body tingled at them, but movement beside her startled her, she heard rustling, someone was moving besides her.

 

“What?” said a man’s voice, he sounded angry. She heard white noise then a the distant voice of a woman fill the silence. She sounded angry too.

 

“I told you he knew. You must return immediately” said the woman.

 

“Kriff” he muttered and the commlink went dead. Rey shifted and turned around to see Ben, whose recently gentle features were now twisted in anger and disgust.

 

“I must return to the First Order”, he muttered, he got up and began picking up clothes and getting new ones form drawers and compartments. She could feel the Force shifting around him, getting darker again.

 

“You could come with me… I… We can help you” she said, hopeful yet a part of her knew.

 

“Not with this… I…” he turned around and looked at her with sorrow. His mouth opened to say something but he clamped it. He pressed his lips together and swallowed.

 

“I’ll take you to your ship, there’s no time”  
  


 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have to thank everyone who has been commenting! It makes me so happy to hear from the people following the story :D  
> The story is planned out, so we may take long but we are definitely not dropping it!
> 
> I made some fanart for this chapter, here's the link!


	18. Chapter 18

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In this chapter Hux will be more of a plotting asshole, Ben struggles and Rey... Rey is there.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me start from the beginning...
> 
>  
> 
> I AM SO SORRY!!!
> 
> I promised this update wouldn't take as long as the other but I did the opposite by updating even later! DD: I've betrayed you and I am sorry for that!. These last 3 months have been crazy and all for different reasons :C. No matter how long we take, please please rest assured that WE ARE NOT GOING ON HIATUS, things are hectic but we want to finish this story!! 
> 
> Thank you so much for sticking up with us this far! Things are getting super interesting now!!

Hux didn't believe in any deities. Gods were for the weak and he was not weak, he believed in taking what one wanted. He had learned since very young that no one would take pity on him and give whatever he desired, he had had to work hard and push the boundaries of anyone's moral  code to gain his ambitions. That was why he despised Kylo Ren.

He was but a spoiled brat who had obtained everything easily. Power had been handed to him on a silver platter and, like the child he was, had rejected it. Power was meant to be taken by force, by any means necessary, for him, that was the brand of a true leader.  

And now, sitting in his office, he was witnessing as the last of the pieces were falling into place. With Kylo out of the picture and the knights’ wavering trust, it was more than enough to make a move. He was just taking a moment to relish in the face Kylo was going to make when he came back and—

 

“Grand General, we have received the last report from our contact in Belnar. The merchants claim to have narrowed down the Resistance’s location. Also…we have found the Supreme Leader's ship” came the voice of his trusted guard. The smirk he'd been flashing before became wider and malevolent, but it was not the time yet, he suppressed it before turning around to face the guard.

 

“Perfect!. So, where are they?” He demanded.

 

“They claim to have narrowed it down to three planets sir. -, Dantooine and -. We’re  running a scan as of now but—” but Hux cut him short.

 

“No, make preparations to head to Dantooine” he demanded, the guard stuttered. “Now, where is Kylo Ren?”

 

“He- He's in Takodana sir” answered the guard, afraid of what that fact could mean to him. And even more so when an eerie smile appeared in Hux's face, that same he'd been trying to suppress.

 

“Very well, call the Knights of Ren to meeting room A, I'll be there immediately” he commanded, the man nodded, gave a curt 'yes, sir’ and left in a hurry.

 

Years of reading practically learning all the Empire’s history had served him right.What a better way to defeat one’s enemies than to learn from their predecessors. Dantooine was a familiar name, he was certain that a senile princess would commit the same mistakes. Hux turned around to see the citadel and let his grin grow as wide as it could. The beauty of it was too much, all he needed was an excuse and he'd given him just that.

 

*

“What is going on?” demanded Arnar, his deep raspy voice resonating in the room.

 

“Be quiet and don't make me repeat myself” came Maro's voice, stoic as ever. Arnar merely huffed and stopped pacing, settling besides a wall, his anger disrupting the energy in the room. Things had been tense among them, with Takkik gone it was complicated to know where they stood. Numbers had always been their strength, so they were only as strong as their weakest link. Waiting was all they could do.

 

Hux’s entrance cut their thoughts short. The Force shifted around and became heavy —a bystander would only feel dizzy or sick— as they saw the smirk plastered on Hux’s face.  Dalmar’s fists tightened, she took a step forward when Maro’s Force signature halted her. She turned around slightly and saw him nod sideways, almost imperceptibly. She yielded, embarrassed of what she would’ve done.

 

“Knights, thank you for your attendance in such short notice. Things are changing” began saying Hux, yet his smirk barely faltered. If the man was barely making any effort to hide his intentions, that could only mean bad news.

“I have to say that learning such news myself, it was hard to accept, so I understand if you—”

 

“On with it!” yelled Bjartur, who was the least patient of them, not usually rash like Takkik, but always on the edge. Hux opened his mouth to continue but he was cut short by the abrupt entrance of Takkik, who bursted in, panting through her mask and turning  around violently to see everyone.

 

“Ah perfect” said Hux, he approached Takkik and placed a hand on her shoulder, to what she reacted violently and grabbed Hux’s wrist aggressively. When she realized it was him, she let him go as if it was fire she touched.

 

“Sorry for my delay” was all that she said. She walked in to stand closer to Dalmar, her Force signature was rippling with anxiety. Something was happening.

 

Hux’s face twisted in a grimace “Well, now that you’re all complete I must point out that when your comrade knew of this _he_ was utterly displeased” said Hux while signaling to Takkik to which Arnar snorted.

 

“Kylo Ren, has been caught in the act of high treason” he finally said. Everyone remained stoic, though worry rose quickly, they had their masks to help.

 

“How can you make such accusations?” asked Maro, keeping an even tone.

 

“You see, I have obtained information that confirms my suspicions. It was not the Scavenger who killed Supreme Leader Snoke as Kylo Ren made us believe, it was him” he said triumphantly “And not only that, but I fear you must learn to know who he’s associating with”  and as he finished, the holo screen came to life.

 

_“I can’t deny what I feel for her, I have accepted that. Though I can’t deny my allegiance to you for her— it's more complicated than I would like but that's how it is. Give me some time Dalmar…”_

 

Kylo’s voice resonated in the room. Dalmar clenched her fists a bit too hard. If Hux had wanted to get under her skin this is what might have sealed the deal, but she knew that Hux was not hers to kill. Maro’s force signature overwhelmed her, keeping her from doing anything rash. Kayukk, Arnar and Bjartur were startled by Maro’s influence. Everyone remained calm by his orders.

 

Hux continued, unaware of the situation “Your so called Leader not only confessed his feelings, but I have received information of his whereabouts. He is currently…in Takodana” this time Hux’s grin mixed with a sneer, he was really enjoying this.

 

“One can easily infer the motives behind his whereabouts. So, what will you do?” he questioned. Silence reigned for an eternity when...

 

The knight that had recently arrived, kneeled down. The rest of the knights stood and stared at their comrade, not a single sound was emitted, their eerie helmets looking in the same direction. Then, slowly, one by one kneeled down until none was left standing but Hux, then one of them spoke.

 

“We, the Knights of Ren, grant our service to you, Grand General Hux” recited the knight, and bowed his head lower, imitated by the others.

 

“No, not general. It’s Supreme Leader Hux now”

*

 

Takodana was but a blur in the galaxy by now, Kylo had left as fast as possible after the last news he had received. As much as it had pained him to leave Rey behind, this wasn’t something that could be left unattended, Hux was something that he needed to deal with permanently.

For the last hour and a half, he’d been attempting to meditate but every time the quiet in his mind was replaced with her voice.

All the sounds she made were now ingrained in his memory. Her lips, her eyes, her body, oh how had she hungrily grinded against him, how had she called his name as she reached completion, how had she-

 

He growled in frustration, was this the reason both the Dark and the Light forbid intimacy? How was he supposed to wield the Force like this?  How was he supposed to focus himself if he was but a quivering mess with unfulfilled desires?

On a better note, by the time he realized it, he was already arriving to Coruscant. He was received by the border patrol and entered orbit without a hitch, no questions, no demands, no nothing. Everything seemed…fine. Nevertheless, more than lowering his defenses, it made him even more suspicious, making him feel like a helpless fathier delivering itself to the butcher. Landing went seamlessly as well, so far there was no sign of disturbance around him. But knowing Hux, and after the message he had received, keeping his guard up was the bare minimum he could do when entering the palace.

 

It was until then that he felt it. Like when one smells pestilence from afar. Like a rotting corpse, there was a strong disturbance that polluted the Force. This wasn't caused by the Dark side, it was like something was off, something was making it dark…wrongly. Kylo furrowed his brows and tightened his fists at his sides, his mind clear of distractions for once with only one objective in his mind. Hux.

 

He began making way to the throne room, but he was intercepted by one of the guards in the main hallway. “Supreme Leader, your presence was requested in meeting room A” said the soldier in the usual distorted voice they all had.

 

“By whom, if it’s possible to know?” he retorted.

 

“By Grand General Hux, sir” simply answered the guard.

 

_So that was how it was going to be?_ Kylo indulged the man and followed quietly. However, his mind began to race. _What would happen if he had been discovered?_ _How would things proceed? How would he kill Hux? What would happen afterwards? What would happen to Rey?_

 

His thoughts were cut short the moment the doors opened, he mentally cursed that he had destroyed his helmet in an angry outburst (more like a hissy fit) because nothing had prepared him for what was waiting for him. Standing in a half circle — wearing all of their usual combat clothing, alongside their weapons — were all of his six knights stoically staring at him, even worse, closed off from the Force. Despite all of his efforts since leaving Takodana, Kylo Ren was nervous. He composed himself to not show it, if Hux ever realized it… He gritted his teeth and moved forward only to be met by Hux’s condescending grin.

 

Whatever he was planning, he would deny it all and if necessary, rid the world of his unbearable presence.

 

“Excellent timing, _Supreme Leader_ , we can finally begin” said Hux, his grin becoming a snide smirk, one that was only worn by a man who had won a battle.

 

The previously played holovid lit the room once more for it’s new viewer. Kylo’s face fell to the ground, not only were his worst suspicions right, but Hux had gathered hard evidence against him and all because he had been sloppy. To think that he felt safe within the First Order, to think that he let his guard down for even a second, and all because of-

His fist trembled with rage fueling the Force surrounding him, making it unstable and clearing it of the sick polluting presence that was Hux. Light or Dark, the Force was at its purest either way, with Hux it was just distorted.

 

“You tried to play it off as if it had been the Scavenger who killed Snoke, but it was you! It was your stupid infatuation that got in the middle the First Order’s plans!” Hux was yelling now, thrilled to finally have Kylo under his boot. “But justice will be made! Your knights have seen you for what you are! A weak, spoiled, little-!”

 

In a split second, before anyone could react, Hux was already hovering in the air, coughing trying to get air while his face turned a nasty shade of blue, Kylo’s expression filled with an exhilarating frenzy.

 

“You nasty little rat, I will crush your neck! You’ve been nothing more than an obstacle and I can finally savor killing you!” Kylo could feel rage fueling his power...except something was wrong —this would have been the best source of power to tap into any other time— he quickly began to feel the strain of trying to keep such wild power under his command, something was wrong, something was off! He was going to be sick but he kept his grip, thick beads of sweat pearling his forehead, determined to finish this once and for all. Hux begun to lose consciousness, his eyes going to the back of his head and his desperate grip on the phantom hand holding him became loose.

 

Asudden, he was punched in the face with the force of a charging Rancor and Kylo was sent flying to the far end of the room by non other than Arnar, whose nickname wasn’t “Heavy” for nothing. Hux dropped like a ragdoll to the floor, the sheer impact pushing back some life into him, yet he didn’t breath and merely gasped desperately for air. From their previous run-ins, this was by far the worst and the closest Kylo had come to actually finishing him off and he wasn't about to let it go to waste.

Kylo pulled on the Force and hoisted himself up, his head feeling light while everything around him was spinning. He reached out to choke Hux once more, but this time it was Maro who stopped him. That was the last drop.

 

“What the hell are you doing?!” he yelled, Kylo’s whole body trembling with rage. The little control he had over the Force disappeared, feeding off his turmoil. Maro simply stared, the void of the eyes of his mask making him inescrutable. Feeling the pressure of the Force being exerted upon him, Kylo fell to his knees but he was not going without a fight, for he was not Kylo Ren, master of the house of Ren, for nothing.

 

Slowly he began pushing back, baring his teeth at the effort, struggling to keep the room from spinning, his body aching under the strain, for Maro was a formidable opponent… but not a fearsome one.

 

“This will stop now!!” yelled Hux, his voice raspy and weak. Immediately, the pressure on Kylo increased tenfold and it crushed him back to the floor. Dalmar and Takkik had joined Maro, together they were able to subdue their master.

 

Holding onto a guard, Hux looked hysterical “Not only are you a spoiled brat, you are delusional! Do you think you can threaten me like that? You have betrayed your so beloved Knights, you have disgraced the First Order!! And I will make sure you pay for it. I will destroy everything you ever had!” he yelled and added.

 

“We know where the Resistance’s base is” smiled Hux, his smiles had always irked Kylo but today it frightened him. “Dantooine. Did you know? Well it doesn’t matter now!. Because that’s where we are headed and I will bring you with me, to witness how we pulverize the _princess_ and that _filthy scavenger_. I will burn it all!”

 

And for the first time in years, Kylo Ren was terrified.

 

_____ . _____

  


Rey was with her heart in her throat, the air felt like too little, not enough to fill her needy lungs, not enough to ease her nerves.

The warning Ben had given her was all that she needed to know that the Resistance was in danger, it was up to her to warn them. She had landed so hastily that she left skid marks on the landing ramp, jumped out of the hatch before it had even opened all the way. There was no time, there wasn’t any time left at all.

 

She ran as fast as she could, looking for someone to warn. The thought that if they didn’t act fast enough another calamity would come upon them flashed through her mind and even if they were better prepared for it, they still didn’t stand a chance against the First Order.

 

She finally found Leia in the common area and hurried towards her. “Leia!...Leia! We…we must…we gotta..” her voice failing her because of the lack of air.

 

“Rey, what is it? Rey, calm down. Why are you back so soon, what happened?” asked Leia, Rey’s mind going too fast for her mouth to even start articulating something. “What happened to Ben?” she finally asked.

 

“He’s been found out” she blurted out, the words dropped out of her mouth so unceremoniously that Leia stayed quiet for a minute. She kept on “ I- I don’t know how, he just told me and left as soon as he received the news himself, he told me to come back and warn my people, and I- I did, there was nothing else I could do” she rambled.

 

“ He warned you? I...Rey, it’s all right, we’ll work this-” began Leia, but Rey cut her off.

 

“No! We won’t, the First Order will come for us because I’m the reason he killed Snoke!” she confessed, immediately gasping at what she had just said. Leia quietly looked at her, trying to figure out if she was telling the truth. But it made sense, it actually made everything make sense now. It explained a lot. Instead of upset, Leia was relieved.

 

“That matters not Rey, it’s not worth telling ourselves what we could have done instead of doing what we can _now_. Let’s put that thought into action, go and find Poe, tell him it’s time for the last resort” she said. Rey was so out of the loop, so she only nodded and followed instructions, she turned and sprinted away in search for the General.

 

If Rey had arrived faster, If she hadn’t lingered for so long, If she hadn’t dwelled on those feelings, all of this would’ve been avoided. This thought haunted her. When she delivered the message, Poe quickly caught wind of it and left to find Rose, who was in charge of the weapons maintenance and development. That was enough to give Rey an idea of what they were on about.

 

Rey decided to run back to find Leia and ask for further instructions, only to find Finn in the way. He was pale and his usually vibrant smile had been replaced with terror. _No_ , thought Rey.

 

“Rey, they’re here.” her stomach sank, no. It couldn't have been that fast.

 

“The dreadnaughts, they’re coming out of hyperspace”

*

 

It had been a while since things were this hectic around the base, only that this time they were more than prepared. Maybe not to win but enough to stand their ground and put up a fight until the base was evacuated.

The dreadnoughts had filled the sky one after the other, about a dozen could be seen — hopefully that was it— imposing by the sheer fact that one was enough to obliterate the base.

 

People were dashing everywhere, only one voice could be heard.  “Move people move, those shuttles have to be leaving as soon as I give the command, everyone to their positions!” yelled Poe, who was organizing the mob like a symphony, no one was left unmoving.

All protocols were being enacted however...nothing had prepared them for the silence. Everyone was getting in position, not taking even a second to stop and take a second glance, yet the ships had not taken any action in the few minutes since their arrival, nothing came up in the command computer and no transmissions had been received. Just silence.

  
  


“Load the 'fusion cannons’, have the munitions ready. Poe we're ready to take action, what happens next?” Rose's voice came louder than Rey had ever heard it, strong and guiding like Poe's.

 

“We wait. Start the engines on the shuttles, everyone who doesn't have a critical task must be on board. We will not…I will not lose any more people” Rose nodded and spread the instructions.

 

Shortly after the dreadnaught at the very front of the fleet released three shuttles that made way to the atmosphere, everyone was holding their breath, anything could happen now. They descended with no opposing fire, aware that they were in no position to start the aggression.

 

Leading the army was no other than Armitage Hux. He emerged from an upsilon class shuttle, while two dozens of soldiers emerged from the other two shuttles.

 

Everyone held their breath.

 

Hux descended and kept walking next to his soldiers. At the same time, Poe began walking alongside Leia, she had left her cane and was keeping balance by holding onto Poe, if no one paid close attention, Leia seemed perfectly fine.

 

Regrettably, Hux was not walking alone, closely behind him, six figures emerged from the ship, they were very different from the usual troopers, wearing all black and eerie looking helmets. Only Rey knew right away who they were since she had seen them before in a stormy night, in one of her visions: the Knights of Ren. Not only was their presence familiar, their Force signature was sharp and dark, confirming their identities further and-

 

Rey gasped, like a punch to her stomach, she felt another Force signature, one she had grown close to, one that was so intertwined with hers that she was bewildered as to why she hadn’t sensed it before. Among the tight formation the Knights made, was Ben. His signature was weak and subdued, barely perceptible, she began walking towards the rendezvous point by the sidelines, trying to get better visuals. _What is happening?_ She thought.

  


It felt like an eternity before all of them were just a few meters away: Poe and Leia wore grievous faces while Hux had a conceited smirk because to his eyes, he had already won. When he stopped, he commanded one of the dark figures forward to bring forth the answer to everyone’s question.

 

Kylo Ren finally made his appearance though not like they expected. Being dragged by one arm, he was cuffed, battered and bruised, his clothes torn. He was walking with difficulty but despite his condition, he had a fierce look on his face. Spiteful and proud.

 

Hux spoke “Pay close attention Princess because this will be the last time you will outrun the First Order, today will be the day you kneel down before the rightful ruler of the Galaxy. But this time you will fear someone different.” With one hand he commanded the knights and they pushed Kylo Ren forward. He lost balance and dropped to his knees haphazardly, Hux bent to his level and grabbed him by the hair when he tried to stand up, he pulled his head up almost showing him off like a prized animal.

 

“This is what's left of the fearsome Kylo Ren, a brat and a fool. I will offer you a deal Princess, in exchange of your surrender I will give you Kylo Ren…or should I call him, Ben Solo?” A fact for a few, a rumor to some and a bomb to the rest. From the troops to the Resistance members began whispering, looking, peeking at the former princess of Alderaan and to the former Supreme Leader. It took a lot from Leia not to react

 

“I see that you’re as honorable as your father General Hux” retorted Leia, she might have been old, but her wit was intact. Had it not been for the gut wrenching sight of her son being used as live bait, she would’ve even provoked the General. She did flinch when one of the guards pointed a gun towards her son and she would’ve said something if it had not been that someone beat her to it.

The gun hadn't even begun to pose a threat by the time it was being thrown away by an invisible hand, Hux froze and his eyes darted —just like everyone’s— to see who was responsible.

 

It was almost like a summoning, Rey appeared behind Leia and Poe, her gaze furious and determined, her actions fueled with an anger that felt foreign to her.

 

“Ah! The proclaimed Jedi has come to the rescue! Are you being a hero or was it your nature that dragged you here?” said Hux with malice, poison dripping from every word. Rey tightened her fists and here nails dug into her skin, his words hurt, but she wasn’t about to let it show, not only for pride but because of everyone who was looking. It was something she needed to consider now that she was the only Jedi to set an example.

 

“So what will it come down to Princess? I mean, I could always exchange this excuse of a Sith for your excuse of a Jedi. A fitting deal, don’t you think?” Hux’s voice resonated in the intense silence that reigned, both sides were waiting for the moment they would have to go into action.

 

“We will not take any deal Hux! We wil…”

 

All sound faded from Kylo’s mind as he tried to focus his strength, the cuff’s that they had put on him were causing some kind of disruption within him, leaving him unable to tap onto the Force, adding only more anger to his already boiling temper. Hearing Hux flaunt his power was sickening and even more hearing him talk to Rey. Something primal and unknown arose within him, a desire to slowly maim Hux into tiny pieces only because he had spoken to Rey. It was wild and frightening but right now that was precisely what he needed: raw power to break free.

 

It didn’t take him long, the pilot was about to talk when he was finally able to break free, with a primal roar he was able to stand and push everyone aside, both sides were startled by his sudden actions. Hux specially, his eyes were wide in surprise, frightened, terrified. But before he could even step forward Maro and Arnar caged him, holding him on the spot.

 

“Is this how you repay your master!?” he began struggling, full of rage, desperate to finally kill his prey. Then he felt a sharp stabbing pain in his back, making him hiss.

 

“Master” came the low voice of Maro, quiet as a whisper, only for his ears, only for his mind to hear. Kylo flinched, years of training together, of delving into each other minds, knowing their secrets, it all kicked nt and Kylo understood. “Blast us” and so he did.

 

In a powerful showcase of power, Kylo Ren pushed everyone in a few meter radius off their feet and sent them flying, his Knights held the best they could but still stumbled back. Like a cue, the spark of a thought came to his mind that made him look behind him, Takkik was trying to stand and on her belt Kylo saw his saber, he rushed towards her and grabbed her by the collar, fury still raw in his veins.

 

“Now!” she yelled into his mind, immediately she reacted and he punched her, knocking her out to king his saber. Had he known of this…

 

“KILL HIM!!” screamed Hux. With that, all hell broke loose.

 

Heavy fire fell upon both sides, the usually quiet fields were now filled with the laser lights, explosions and constant screaming. Chaos quickly took hold of the place, making it difficult to find allies or even escape enemy fire, soldiers of each faction were falling like dead flies, Kylo sparked his saber to life and began deflecting the fire coming his way while trying to locate Hux, his sole mission now.

 

A task compromised by the relentless attack on him by both from the Resistance and the First Order, one after another he punched, kicked and slashed everyone who tried to come at him. Parry, block, duck, doge. A shower of attacks came from everywhere, all of them looked the same, until, by pure chance, he spotted the defector running away screaming someone’s name. Decidedly he prepared himself to attack, flung his sword down to-

 

He audibly gasped as Rey suddenly came into his line of vision, holding down his powerful attack with her saber, which shone a bright yellow, crackling at the contact with his less stable one.

 

“Get away Rey!!” he yelled but her push only became stronger and her fury like his. “Leave and I will finish this!!” he said in a frenzy, unaware that Rey took the opening he had given her, with impressive agility, she shoved him as far as she could only gaining some momentum, barely putting any distance between them.

 

“Stop this Ben, this isn’t...this isn’t you!” she pleaded, she knew he was close to going to the light but this could change everything. Her knuckles were white, trembling from the strain and before he could answer, Rey caught a glimpse of Hux.

He was red and yelling something, his finger pointing at Ben’s back, right next to him, a Stormtrooper was carrying a heavy weapon, a canon  that made her eyes go wide.

 

“Ben!!” she managed to scream but it was too late, the cannon had been fired and like if time had slowed down, Rey ran as fast as she could, barely nudging Ben from his spot enough to save him from the blast but not herself.

 

A flash of light blinded her followed by an unimaginable pain that shot through all her body, she cried in pain as she fell to her side.

 

“REEEEEY!!!” came Ben’s piercing yell, the pain made everything haze and her head was spinning, then Ben was above her, his face contorted in pain, desperate, panicking.

 

“No, Rey, no, no, no. Rey, why, why?!” was all he said, he moved her and she let herself, her body too heavy for herself to even try. She could feel herself drifting away, suddenly too tired to keep her eyes open.

 

Kylo looked at her left arm or at  least what was left of it. Shredded and barely a limb anymore, a piece of charred bleeding flesh hung from the few ligaments that used to be her elbow, blood was quickly pooling under her just as her skin began to turn a sick grayish color. There was only one way to keep Rey alive and saving her arm was no longer and option.

 

“I’m so sorry Rey, please forgive me” With a sob, he ignited his saber once more and with a swift slash severed the last remaining pieces of her arm. Rey yelled in agony and quickly fainted under the pain.

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SO??? Did you like it?  
> My gosh, I feel so guilty about being MIA for so long but I hope this compensates for the abscence, GET READY GUYS, THINGS ARE ONE CHAPTER AWAY OF GETTING STEAMYY, LIKE not dream steamy like, REAL LIFE (IN FANFIC) STEAMY!!! 
> 
> Comments? Your feedback is food for my soul!!


	19. Chapter 19

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The resistance regroups, Rey makes some discoveries about herself, Finn dissapproves of things, Leia comforts people and Ben... Ben doesn't know what to do.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OMG!!! I AM TRULY SORRY, I SAID I WOULND'T TAKE A HIATUS AND I HAVEN'T UPDATED SINCE SINCE... DECEMBER??? 
> 
> to be honest a lot has been going on, and there will be many changes more later on, I can assure you this fic won't stop until it's all wrapped up. So at least I can offer you that peace of mind...(I hope :s) 
> 
> Thank you to everyone and special thanks to @fuckoyeah in tumblr for her support! thanks to your note I had the energy to finish up this last chapter, now onto 20!
> 
> Without further ado, go ahead and read :D

Deep in the confines of the Galaxy, Hux had reunited with the Knights of Ren… _his_ Knights. They had all sworn loyalty to him, turned against their former leader just like he had predicted, it was only a matter of playing the right cards. Now, he was ready to move forward to the next stage of his plan.

At the head of the table he had eyes on all of them, their faces were now exposed and he was analyzing each one of them.

 

“General.” Began one of the Knights, Dalmar, but he stopped her with his finger in the air.

 

“Supreme Leader _Hux_ , if you please”, corrected Hux, the sound of the title made him feel giddy every time he heard it.

 

The knight, sternly, obliged. “Supreme Leader Hux”, he relished at the sound. “My comrades and  I wish to know how is it that we’ll aide you from now on, it seems…everything is under control” the last sentence was uttered with a dash of annoyance, _maybe they feel useless now,_ thought Hux. Maybe they were...

 

“It may seem so, with Kylo’s banishment everything's falling into place. Most of the conquered planets have pledged their allegiance but some are unwilling to fall in line. You’ll be required in these cases of difficult…negotiations”

 

All the knights turned to see each other, obviously confused. They would eventually understand.

Though it was not the moment for them to know, so he lifted his hand to dismiss them, cutting off any kind of retort. The Knights quietly obeyed and left the room, eyeing each other when Hux wasn’t paying attention to them anymore.

 

Once alone, Hux marveled at himself —he hadn’t had much to time to indulge— and how much he had accomplished in such a short time. It was something other emperors, kings, and leaders had not been able to even fathom.

All that was left to do was to find the little bastard of Kylo Ren. Once he had him under his custody, the galaxy would witness the monster unmasked.

 

* 

Again in the quietness of the training room, Dalmar softly spoke to Maro.

 

“What now?”, her voice unsure for the first time.

 

“We kill Kylo Ren”, said Maro, calm as ever.

 

_____ . _____

 

When Rey came to her senses, she knew something was off. The first sense that came to life was her hearing, the constant beeping of a machine was the first thing to invade her ears; then came her smell, there was the pungent odour of disinfectant. She scrunched up her nose in disgust. When she tried to open her eyes, a dull pain pestered her eye sockets, her mouth was dry and tasted like iron, making her feel sick. She tried to stir at all the discomfort yet her body felt numb. Then, from afar she could hear someone calling her name but with her mouth tightly shut, she was barely able to respond.

 

In the haze she tried to hold herself up and miserably failed. She lost balance and fell on her left side, truly awakening her this time. A sharp pain ran all the way from her shoulder to her head, spreading like a wave. She cried out and tried to curl up into a ball to ride out the discomfort.

 

“Kriff, Rey?” came a familiar voice, Rey tried to answer yet all she produced was a whiny moan. Next, she tried to turn around to see her visitor, but a sharp pain spread throughout her whole body, this time ripping from her a lamenting of pain.

 

“No, no, no, no, no. Rey easy, don't move, your body's still recovering” said the voice again. Finn. It was Finn.

 

“Fi.. i…inn” croaked Rey in the most depressing attempt to sound happy to see him.  Finn’s face caught her by surprise since it was contorted in a pained smile, despair in his eyes.

 

“Please, Rey, stay put. It's still too much on your body” he complained. Rey wasn't about to yield but as she tried to hold her weight to sit up, nothing put resistance against the bed and she abruptly lost balance. She plopped onto the bed once more and winced when pain shot through her body once again.

 

“What?” She mustered, her voice so quiet that Finn barely heard her. His worried gaze directed itself towards her left side and stared quietly.

 

“Rey… I'm sorry” he muttered while looking away. Rey gave him a puzzled look and turned to investigate what he was talking about. She began stirring, looking for that which caused her pain, and surely it came again from her left side, she attempted to move her left hand to inspect it further but...nothing. She stirred impatiently and began to panic at the absence of pain from her _hand_...All of a sudden, memories flashed through her mind one by one. Her stand off with Ben, the cannon, trying to save him, his desperate sobs and a searing agony that left her unconscious. Rey slowly looked down only to find a bandaged munion where her left arm should’ve been.

 

Still sedated, Rey couldn’t process the information right away and all she muttered was a quiet ‘oh’ that made Finn look at her again.

They both remained in tense silence, until tears came rushing down’s Rey’s cheeks, quickly becoming sobs that caught Finn by surprise.

 

“Rey, Rey, Rey, it’s going to be alright, they said they can fix it! That it’ll be good as new in no time” said Finn frantically, leaning over to hug Rey and then flinching for being so stupid as to grab his dear friend by her injured shoulder. But nothing stopped her sobs.

 

“Where is everyone Finn, what happened?” she managed between sobs. Finn froze for a second. Rey still amazed him at times like this.

 

“They, uh, right. Um, well, Leia and most of the crew are fine…we had…some casualties” he said in a barely audible whisper “But, but, we managed to salvage everything we’ve been working on! If it hadn’t been for Poe, then-” but Finn stopped mid sentence, stricken with pain.

 

“Is Poe alright?!” asked Rey, her sobs threatening to become worse, too afraid of knowing who was lost.

 

“What? Yes! I’m sorry Rey, yes he’s fine now. He managed to hit Hux’s Silencer but his own X-Wing suffered heavy damage… Escaping wasn’t easy and in the end he was able to make the jump with us but... But he lost control of it as we exited hyperspace” Fin sighed heavily, Rey was expectant to hear the rest of the story but too scared to know the outcome, so she waited.

 

“We saved him in the nick of time, barely pulled him out of the cockpit when the ship burst into flames. And then…” this time, Finn made a grin that was all too familiar to Rey.

 

“What happened then Finn?” she asked urgently. She knew he didn’t like this part of the story. He stared at her with worried eyes and continued reluctantly.

 

“Kylo Ren pushed the ship off to the precipice, it exploded just as it fell”.

 

In that moment Rey’s sobs were cut short, her train of thought was overtaken by emotions way too familiar. Relief, grief, longing, pain, sadness, anger, too many emotions for her to process. He was alive, he was here… _He was here._ The thought hit her like an angry wookie. She bent over and covered her mouth with her hand, unable to process all the information at once, the implications too much and too many.

 

Only one question made it through.

 

“How long was I out?” she almost demanded.

 

“Um… It’s been three days since we landed in Bespin, you’ve been out for almost four days now” Rey took a moment to process this new information. If they were in Bespin, that meant that they were with Lando. It also meant that they couldn’t stay long, now that the Resistance had been found she was sure Hux would not sleep until they were destroyed. Before she could make any more questions, Finn stood up.

 

“Oh, it’s time for your check up, Dr. Kolonia will be happy to see you’re awake” he said with a cheerful smile.

And as predicted, a twi’lek wearing medical garments entered the room, she was startled to see Rey awake but quickly asked Finn to leave them alone.

 

“Miss Rey, I’m happy to see you’re up and about. I'm going to run some standard procedures, please tell me if you experience any pain at all” instructed the doctor while Rey hastily cleaned her face and nodded. Quietly, the doctor took out several instruments which she used one at a time to poke, stroke and pinch Rey, eliciting some painful reactions which the Twi’lek duly noted.  Other than the mandatory questions they were quiet, Dr. Kolonia was very distant yet gentle.

 

“Well, overall you are healthy Miss Rey… Are you aware of all that happened?” Rey barely looked up. “Ok… well it can be difficult to accept things like this but given the injury you sustained and all that was going on, it wouldn’t have been just your arm and..What I mean is that whoever did this, saved you” the encouraging words went under Rey’s radar, she barely had time to process the meaning of her loss, so it all felt too foreign. Soon it was all over and she was already scheduling her next check up and the doctor left to see another patient.

 

Less than a minute later, Leia was coming in to see her.

 

Leia’s slow movement made her feel guilty, the woman was already retired and should only be giving orders, not visiting fallen soldiers. She sat next to Rey and held her hand tenderly, as if trying to communicate her feelings to her.

 

“Rey, dear, I am so glad so see you’re finally awake. You had us all very worried… specially  Ben. He put up quite a fight when we told him he couldn’t travel with you” she said with half a chuckle and looked at Rey again. Tears were pooling in her eyes, threatening with coming down like waterfalls. _Ben_ had saved her, _Ben_ had fought to be by her side… but bitterness seeped into her heart as she remembered his eyes when they exchanged blows in the battlefield. Once again the question popped into her mind _Who was he now?_ Her thoughts were interrupted by Leia’s hand, she looked up to the woman and saw understanding in her eyes.

 

“It’s not easy Rey, I know” that was all it took for the tears to stream down, finally all that pent up emotion and pain ebbed out from her system along her sobbing. If she had known falling in love was so painful maybe she wouldn’t have let herself in the first place, but here she was, crying for a man torn between light and dark, a man who had saved her life and left everything behind to save her again. Now it was up to her to finish the task and if losing an arm was the price to pay, she would’ve paid it again.

 

*

 

Rey slowly walked down the illuminated white corridors, she was still a bit weak and her body was still accommodating to the weight change (she seriously lost balance the first time she stood). It had been a whole day since she was discharged and the first thing she’d wanted to do was to find Ben, as much as she tried she couldn't get a feeling of him, it was eerie to say the least but Leia assured her he was fine and convinced her to wait to see him, that they would go together.

 

The only other thing keeping her mind busy was what Leia had told her: Poe took no mercy on Ben and locked him up as soon as he got the chance, Ben barely resisted and only demanded one thing.

 

_Let me see her_.

 

That was the only thing the Supreme Leader had said after their arrival.

 

The words rung in Rey’s mind like if she had been the one to hear Ben say it, dizzying her with the mixed emotions those words brought about.

What would she say when she saw him? How would he react? What kind of reunion would it be? A lot had happen between them, things that made her blush like a girl and most recently, things that made her doubt the rightfulness of her feelings.

 

Her train of thought was paused when a window crossed her field of vision. She trotted towards it and peered. She was instantly both frightened and amazed. Apparently they were somewhere above the sky because it was the only thing in sight.

Rain was her favorite by miles, but the clouds were quite the sight too. White and endless, they brought not a daunting feeling like the desert but a calm and peaceful one. She was going to need it.

 

She looked forward and faced the white doors that led to the cell holding Ben captive. It was now or never.

 

First, Rey saw Leia, she was looking tired, more than usual and her smile was a sad one. Then she noticed Finn, he looked stiff —his expression bitter along his Force signature— he was beyond angry.

 

Leia placed a hand on the lock of the door and it opened, Rey sighed, realizing that she’d been holding her breath all along, expecting something to happen, it was like that with Ben.

 

“Ben” she quietly gasped, Finn’s brow dipped further. Ben looked up, and locked eyes with her, a thousand emotions swirling in the dept of his irises yet he didn’t flinch.

 

Before leaving, Finn gave Leia a long look and then to Rey, unspeaking.

 

They held their breath, unwillingly expecting Ben to lash out but nothing came and took it as a sign that it was safe to go into the cell.

 

Sitting on a bench inside a dimly illuminated room was the former Supreme Leader. Pale, stripped of his usual garments, wearing a simple gray robe, his hands and ankles cuffed. He was looking down, making his hair look longer than it already was. He looked so small despite his build.  

 

Ben didn’t look up at first, Rey imagined he was either too focused on how to escape or his mother was too much for him to handle.

 

Silence lingered too long for her taste, but neither dared to break it. Rey gave a step forward that startled Ben, making him look up. His eyes were sunken with dark circles under them, they were staring at her with the instinct of fight or flight ready to be triggered. Only it didn’t come, he stayed still and silent. His eyes darted to her arm, the one she still hasn't gotten used to either, tears began to well up but he tightened his lips and the tears never came.

 

To everyone's surprise, it was Ben’s voice that broke the silence.

 

“Are you ok?” asked Ben quietly. Rey’s lips parted and she gave him a small nod. Tears were brimming in his eyes —she didn't know what to say— so she did the only thing she knew. She reached out.

She walked closer to him and he stood up, full six feet out of the blue yet she kept the eye contact and cupped his face with her hands. Both quietly gasped at the foreign sensation of the metal on skin. However it was substituted by the swirl of emotions that both had within: anger, confusion, pain, sorrow, passion. Love. Among all those emotions, love shone bright and strong.

 

“Ben” she merely said. And even Leia could see that a thousand words were being exchanged just under her nose. They hugged into a tight embrace, one that they had needed since that first encounter but conditions had not been the best. And other powerful needs had gotten in the way.

Leia smiled inwardly, now more than ever as she felt assurance that together they would be the force that would finally bring balance to the galaxy.

 

With Rey so close to him, Ben could feel the stream of emotions emanating from her, they were so… similar. He gritted his teeth and cursed internally. How could he have been so dense? So lost with her so close to him? And clear as day, he could feel her resolution to help him, her difficult stance between the resistance and him.

 

But all good things must come to and end. Soon their little moment vanished as Leia made herself present once more.

 

“My son…” she barely muttered, afraid to be the one to break the spell, but she needed to know how were they planning to proceed.

 

The words had an effect on Ben that he had not foreseen as something deep within him awoke, something that had been dormant for _decades_. Grief and fear.

 

He slightly separated from Rey —he placed her forehead against hers— letting out a deep sigh. He was not ready to do this, maybe he would never be so, and if he had learned anything from the dark side it was that fear was power. Right?

He moved away from Rey and inched closer towards Leia, raised his eyes and forced himself to look at the eyes of the woman who had birthed him, the woman who had loved him despite himself, the eyes of a tired war veteran. It was the last drop.

 

Kylo Ren knew he would have to face his mother again at some point, and he would have been ready. But Ben Solo was not. He was not ready to face the weary woman in front of him. All the emotions he had managed to bottle up came bursting like an avalanche with it’s full force and he could not do anything to stop it.

 

The Force bond they shared was unique, miles different from the one he shared with Rey, it had been on the verge of disappearing for years now, for some reason it had survived, tattered and weak. With his mother once again in front of him, that bond had come back to life, flooding his heart with a regret even greater than his own.

 

Unable to handle the emotions within him, he doubled and fell to his knees, his breathing shallow and short, the tears he had fought back before were now free of constraints, rolling down his cheeks, though he barely made a sound. Embarrassment and self-loathing forbade him.

On his knees and hunched over, his powerful frame was rendered pitiful, he was a scared boy once more, with nothing to say for himself.

 

“Forgive me… Forgive me” suddenly came the voice of Leia, her tone was soft and her voice was breaking, but the silence of the room made it loud and clear.

 

“Forgive me my son” she repeated.

 

Ben’s voice quickly evolved to loud sobs and Rey’s heart broke at hearing them, it was their moment so she could only watch for now.

 

“WHY?!” he yelled “Why are you apologizing?! I was the one who killed-” but he went mute before he could complete the word. He looked away and just repeated, “why… why are you apologizing”

 

“Because I was the one who thought that sending you away was the best, because I wasn’t able to guide you, to protect you” said Leia, now with her voice beginning to break with each word. “If only I had listened, If only I had been there, If-” but her voice choked and she couldn’t go on, her frail body was now shivering, and tears had begun to fall down her cheeks too.

 

The only thing that caught Leia’s attention was a hand softly being placed over hers, her son’s hand. She looked up to Ben who was peering from under his bangs, his eyes puffy and his cheeks red. Her lips trembled with emotion that urged her to pull him into an embrace, which made him stiffen, he tried to pull back out of instinct, its was still too foreign, so…so…so needed. He slowly relaxed and hugged her back, pulling her closer still.

 

They held each other for the longest time and let their sobs ebb away slowly, Rey had sat down on the bed, giving them the moment they needed. As the separated, they quietly nodded in agreement and stood up, Ben planted himself so his mother would have sufficient support.

 

“There is so much to talk, to discuss… Ben” she tentatively said, though she was met with silence so she took it that there was no problem with that name. Ben, on the other hand, merely tightened his lips and let the name sink in, it felt odd and somewhat nostalgic.

 

Leia continued “So many things have been going on and things have just gotten more complicated with the ‘moving’. Reorganizing will take away the little time we had of advantage”

 

“I’ll…try to help. But I don’t know what can I offer -” Ben started, but Leia lifted a hand, cutting him off.

“Sadly, I’m no longer general…Poe is the general in command now and whatever strategies we discuss, he must be involved. Your presence changes everything but we have to move accordingly to earn everyone's favor…or in the best case…Tolerance” added Leia, whose face was more calm now but her voice let go how worried she was.

 

“In all of this, will I ever leave this cell” dared Ben.

 

Leia sighed. “I don’t know… But please remain calm, we cannot push our luck under these circumstances” Ben nodded.

 

Feeling a goodbye coming, Ben hugged his mother again, still numb from all the rush of emotions, at the oddly familiar sensation, a warmth and relief he hadn’t felt… in ages. Once his mother exited the room he turned around to see Rey come forward to stand before him.

 

Expectancy filled the air of the room along an awkward silence. Things were still —

 

Rey wrecked his train of thought with a small kiss. Right on the corner of his mouth, bu he was too slow and she was already back where she was.

 

“I’ll see you soon” she said, and followed Leia out of the room, leaving Ben Solo with much to think about.

 

He slumped back to the bunk and loudly sighed, too confused, too tired to think.

He laid back and made himself as comfortable as possible in the tiny bunk, sighed deeply, ready for exhaustion to render him unconscious.

 

But not tonight. The Force shifted around him, making him gasp as if choking, he quickly stood up and was left speechless.

 

“Hey Kid”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So!!!??? was it worth the wait?? I don't want to spoil all the suprise but let me just say... that with next chapter I'll have to change the fic's rating to E ;P.
> 
> Please comment! or you can leave a message in my tumblr page @mrsmancuspia.  
> Kudos are love, but comments are life!


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